OVER the course of the last year and a half, staffing levels and the retention of existing staff have been among the more significant dilemmas that the Irish racing industry has had to confront.

As we move towards 2019, the issue of trainers and others being able to recruit staff and hold on to them is going to remain a pressing matter with no easy solution. Indeed, other sectors within an improving economy present the racing industry with increasingly stiff competition when it comes to recruiting staff on any scale.