It is healthy that we have the debate and the funding has oversight. It is important that the Government continues to support both sectors and continues to invest in the fund to underpin two very important industries.. I thank Senators for their contributions and the amendments they have put forward. The Government, however, will not accept the amendments but will continue to work closely with both industries to ensure that the funding is spent effectively, that integrity and welfare are central to how the funding …

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022, copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on the 13th October, 2022. An important pillar of Government policy is to ensure that the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential, and in so doing, contribute to economic and social development over a wide geographic distribution across the country. The horse and greyhound racing industries make a valuable c…

I thank all Deputies for their contributions today. It is important that the issue is fully considered, that the funding is fully considered, and that there is very strong oversight of it. Certainly with regard to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, that is very much the case. Unlike many other funding streams, this funding comes before the Oireachtas committee every year for a full examination and a full discussion. It is also subject to a full discussion here in the Dáil. I will go to the Seanad in half an hour …

I am aware that the Deputy has an amendment-----

-----and I am clear that we will oppose that. I presume the Deputy will, like he did last year, probably vote against the funding.

Despite saying he is in favour of it, the Deputy will be against it. The Deputy has a very confused position on it.

While he calls for transparency on the way funding is dealt with, the fact that it comes before the Dáil and Seanad for a week every year puts Deputy Carthy in an awful bind because he does not know whether he is coming or going. The Deputy is trying to ride two horses at the one time, or as Deputy Cairns has said, to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. That is a difficult thing to do and it exposes the Deputy as not having a position on it. If the horse racing and greyhound sectors, for whom this funding is…

-----and particularly when many of the left-leaning politicians, with whom Sinn Féin wants to and was seeking to go into Government, are so adamant that it should be opposed and should be done away with. If those sectors are depending on Deputy Carthy and Sinn Féin to actually keep the sectors alive, I believe they would be very concerned indeed.

On the 80:20 funding split, it is fair to have different views on it. Last year Deputies called for a review of the 80:20. The Deputies are Members of the Parliament and Members of the Legislature. They can make law and propose law, but they have not come forward with any proposal to change the 80:20.

Deputy Carthy can bring forward a Bill. He has done nothing since last year and he will do nothing again.

Once this is dealt with this year, there will not be a word out of him.

It is open to the Deputy to bring forward legislation and propose that. On the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, that has increased by about 3% this year. Most of the other State agencies have been increased by about 3% also, so it is not different really from the approach taken by most State agencies.

Both have been increased by about 3%.

As I said to the committee, that level of certainty in relation to recurrent funding is important. There are then strategic plans and assessments by Horse Racing Ireland and Rásaíocht Con Éireann each year on how that funding is spent, along with key stakeholders representing both of the boards. On Deputy Kelly's contribution, the Deputy has been a consistent supporter of funding. He again makes the case about the 80:20 funding split and whether that is an appropriate way to do it. That is a fair view to have. Agai…

The Deputy has an amendment today on a review and then the Deputy will vote against the funding, despite expressing support for the sector. It is simply a ruse to try to cover the Deputy's embarrassment that he does not have a position and while he is out speaking to the Dáil-----

While Deputy Carthy is speaking about how he supports the sector, meanwhile Senator Boylan will be firing off emails to all the NGOs that are in contact with her to say how she is against it and is opposing it. God help Sinn Féin with regard to this if it ever gets into Government.

I recognise the points made by Deputy Kelly and I recognise the view and perspective of the Social Democrats. On the point made by Deputy Paul Murphy about the funding for the sector, of course he ignores the jobs that are dependent on it. On the sports funding, we invested €150 million in sports clubs across the country this year, which is very important and shows the Government commitment to sports in general.

I thank Senator Lombard for raising this issue, which is obviously a very important one to our poultry sector nationally. My Department is taking the threat of avian influenza H5N1 extremely seriously, as would be expected, and is working directly and diligently to protect the integrity of the sector and our poultry farmers. We are acting proactively to protect the industry. My Department yesterday confirmed, as Senator Lombard pointed out, highly pathogenic avian influenza in samples from a second turkey flock in …

Anyone with captive birds should ensure that they are housed and that every possible biosecurity measure is in place to protect the birds because, obviously, the risk is high at the moment. The disease is in the wild bird population and is highly pathogenic and highly infectious, so every step must be taken. That is why I put the housing order in place. The run-up to Christmas is obviously an important time of year for the turkey trade. With the measures we have in place, I am very confident there will be no supply…

The Government has been taking this issue very seriously. It is a challenging situation that emanates from the fact that pretty much all the commercial peat extraction that is happening in the country is operating without licence or authorisation. That has been the situation for many years. As a result, we have come up against a situation whereby the industry has not been regularised and is finding it very challenging to become regularised. Along with the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, I have been working on a…