A series of hearings on the horse industry in Ireland will be undertaken by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine tomorrow.
 
At the hearings, a number of representatives from Horse Sport Ireland, the national governing body for equestrian sport, and the Irish Bookmakers’ Association, whose membership comprises the majority of betting shops in Ireland, will address the Committee.   
 
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says, "The horse industry has a hugely positive impact on the economy of rural Ireland. Ireland is one of the leading producers of thoroughbreds in the world and our Committee was pleased to have had an opportunity to feed into the pre-legislative process on significant piece of legislation in relation to horse racing.

As part of these discussions, the Committee pledged to examine the wider horse industry in Ireland and where policy can be optimised to further develop the sector. Tomorrow’s meeting will be a valuable opportunity to engage with Horse Sport Ireland and bookmaker representatives on where the priorities for the horse industry lie, including in the non-thoroughbred sector."

Source: www.businessworld.ie