THE Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) agreed to seek from Horse Sport Ireland a copy of the business plan for HSI’s proposed relocation plans to Greenogue Equestrian.

The PAC Committee briefly discussed correspondence from Denis Duggan, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, providing information requested by PAC.

TDs raised several questions including lease length, costs, site size and sterilisation for a road corridor. The PAC agreed to look for a copy of the business plan to see if that could further assist them in their enquiries.

Kildare North Deputy Catherine Murphy (Ind) said the bulk of HSI’s funding - €6 out of every €7 - is DAFM-funded. “Horse Sport Ireland wanted to get a permanent facility and that is fine. It then had to decide where to locate it, with a view to meeting the needs of all of its affiliates. However, none of the affiliates was consulted in advance and some of them have real issues with the decision of Horse Sport Ireland. The site chosen is located in an industrial estate in west Dublin and it simply will not meet the needs of some of the affiliates,” said Deputy Murphy.

Laois-Offaly TD, PAC chairman Brian Stanley went on to add: “I will try to draw this together. It is proposed that we write to Mr. Duggan and cc the Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, highlighting the four or five concerns we have just outlined and asking for a copy of the business case for this piece to be supplied to the committee. Is that agreeable? That may illuminate the matter for us.”