Issued by the Fianna Fáil press office

FIANNA Fáil is committed to balanced regional growth and supporting all communities to thrive. In this context, it is impossible to overstate the benefits of the horse industry. The sector has an annual economic impact of €2.46 billion. It employs, both directly and indirectly, an estimated 30,000 people.

In this sector, Ireland is the undisputed European leader. Globally, Ireland is the second-largest producer of bloodstock by value sold, following the USA. We have the world’s third-highest number of thoroughbreds foaled each year, after USA and Australia.

The Irish horse industry is the benchmark which all other countries must aspire to meet. For decades, we have been outperforming competitors. This is because of the dedication of all those working in the industry and all those with a passion for horses.

Fianna Fáil is committed to maintaining our leadership position and we back this commitment up with action. In response to Brexit, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, introduced an equine e-passport and supported the sector with unprecedented funding.

Budget 2025 allocated €79.3 million for the horse industry, under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. This is the highest allocation since the fund was established 23 years ago. Fianna Fáil is committed to maintaining the fund. Additionally, as laid out in our manifesto, if returned to Government, we will:

Fianna Fáil understands the concerns in relation to the EU’s proposed welfare in transport regulations. To be clear; the EU has good intentions.

The regulations aim to improve conditions for young animals and animals going for slaughter. We have all been shocked by recent horrific stories of animal abuse. But it is not enough to be shocked, we must act.

However, some of the European Commission’s proposals have the potential to undermine the success of our thoroughbred industry. Ireland is working with other EU Member States to find a solution. Fianna Fáil will continue to be the strongest possible advocate for our equine sector and will ensure that a solution is found.

By Pippa Hackett, Green Party TD and Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture

IT might surprise readers to know that I only became involved in politics in 2016, around the time of that general election when I read the Green Party’s election manifesto.

At that stage of my life, I was busy rearing children and breeding horses on our family farm in Co Offaly.

As a lifelong equine enthusiast living in rural Ireland, I was looking for a party that cared about the things I cared about: treating animals with dignity and respect; protecting and enhancing the natural environment; and investing in cities, towns and villages outside Dublin.

It was clear to me then, as it is now, that the Greens were the only ones who had the vision and the policies to take these issues seriously.

As it happened, the Green Party manifesto in 2016 resonated with me so strongly that I ended up becoming a member. The rest, as they say, is history.

The hard-earned and fully deserved reputation of the Irish equine sector as a world leader has been built on the passion, expertise, dedication and work ethic of so many people going back generations. It is a genuine source of national pride, and we have to do everything we can to protect it. At its core, our success is built on how deeply and attentively we care for our animals.

There is a growing appreciation in wider society of the sentience, intelligence and dignity of all animals, none more so than the horse. This is welcome, but it comes with increased scrutiny.

We live in times in which social licence of our sector can’t be taken for granted based on past success, and in which there is a grave threat to continued Government funding for horse racing based on its association with greyhound racing.

The Green Party manifesto is online for anyone who wants to read it. I won’t rehearse the details here, save to highlight one commitment that I believe represents the most important policy change that could be made overnight to safeguard the future of Government funding for Irish racing - and by extension the trickle-down effect of that funding to the wider Irish equine sector, both sport horses and racehorses.

The Horse and Greyhound Fund is currently split 80:20 in favour of horseracing. This means that if Government funding for horseracing is to increase or even be maintained at current levels, greyhound funding too has to be maintained or increased in proportion. Government funding for the greyhound sector is becoming increasingly controversial for swathes of the electorate.

The Green Party proposes to end that association, by making greyhound racing stand on its own two feet based on its own welfare record and its own contribution to the wider economy.

This will be transformative for the ability of the horseracing sector to make its case for Government funding, without being associated with the reputation and practices of an otherwise unrelated sector over which it has no control.

The Green Party is the only one of the three Government parties proposing this change, and I believe that is the single biggest reason readers of The Irish Field should Vote Green on Friday.

By Martin Kenny TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson for agricultural affairs

SINN Féin has a deep understanding of the issues facing horse owners across the country. Whether horse owners are involved for leisure or with the objective of racing, the health and welfare of the animal is always at the forefront of the owner’s mind.

Supporting owners to care for their horses is one of our objectives and we understand there are challenges in that regard.

Sinn Féin also understands the frustration felt by many horse owners who are facing substantial delays and inefficiencies in a vast and complex system. It is an issue right across the agricultural sector for decades now, and is something Sinn Féin have been vocal on.

We need to see the basics delivered, including timely processing of horse passports, ownership application, and other identification processes – which is not currently the case. The processing delays cause significant disruption to horse owners, and there is little oversight or accountability.

A Sinn Féin government is committed to ensuring there is improved efficiency across the Department of Agriculture and its aegis, including Horse Racing Ireland. Responsible horse owners and breeders should be able to rely on a timely and accessible system, something which has not been provided to them under the current government.

Fine Gael, Labour and the Social Democrats did not respond to The Irish Field’s invitation to send us their views.