QUOTED in this paper last week, the Minister for Agriculture said that the point-to-point community need have no worries about the incoming Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill. However, in the same breath he indicated that the registration of hunter certificates would be “streamlined” which presumably means that task will be taken from the Turf Club and given to HRI.

Could somebody explain to me how this will save money or make things more efficient? Why fix something that was working fine? The hunts have had a long association with the Turf Club’s INHS Committee and the all-party Oireachtas Joint Committee appeared to acknowledge this when the Turf Club pleaded its case last autumn.