My Department has made no direct financial supports to the named organisation or breeders since 2023. The marketing and promotion of the Irish sport horse sector, including the traditional Irish horse, falls under the remit of the Irish Horse Board which is under contract for the provision of National Marketing Services since 2023.
In this regard, I have provided €800k plus VAT annually since 2023 for their activities. The contract includes the promotion and marketing of Irish bred horses and Irish breeders and producers, to protect, enhance and build the reputation of the sport horse industry, to increase National and International exposure of the Irish Sport Horse Industry.
The provision of National Marketing Services is designed to serve the entirety of the Irish sport horse sector rather than any individual breed or breed associations and funding allocations reflect this framework.
The activities carried out under the National Marketing Services are included in the annual reports published on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/animal-breeding/#dafm-supported-organisations-in-animal-breeding or at the following webpage: [www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/animal-breeding].
The contract for these Services commenced on 1 January 2023. The current contract ends on 31 December 2026. In advance of this date, a competitive procurement competition will be launched for the provision of these services from 1 January 2027.
