My Department’s remit is to support the sport horse sector in relation to the breeding and production side of the industry. Responsibilities associated with sport fall under the remit of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Sport Ireland.
Since January 2023, following an open public procurement process, the National Breeding Services (NBS) are delivered under contract to my Department by the named organisation. Prior to 2023, the named organisation were provided a grant to deliver initiatives to support this sector.
The NBS funding allocated by my Department provides for both scheme administrative costs and stakeholder breeding supports. The named organisation is paid €1.5m (ex VAT) annually under the terms of the contract for administering the NBS.
They must submit in advance a programme of works for breeding supports (initiative proposals) with budgets in each year of the NBS contract. These are reviewed and approved by my officials prior to roll-out. Supporting documentation foe each initiative is submitted to my officials with each claim prior to payment. At the end of the year an industry report is submitted regarding the NBS activities carried out: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/e17ea556/HSI_NBS25_Industry_Report_Final.pdf.
As a recognised studbook, the named organisation is also eligible to compete for funding under the annual Equine Technical Support and Equine Breeding Schemes (ETS). This Scheme comprises of three programme headings as follows:
- General Programme;
- Training/Education Programme; and
- Research into Equine Diseases Programme.
ETS is administered by my Department under a competitive process. All projects approved must meet the Terms and Conditions of this Scheme before payment is made. More details can be found at:www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/services/equine-technical-support-and-equine-breeding-schemes/.
Details outlining the public funding received by the named organisation from my Department for the past five years are set out below.
|
Year
|
Sport Horse Sector Grant
|
Equine Technical Support & Equine Breeding Schemes
|
TOTAL
|
|
2021
|
€4,359,096
|
€355,472
|
€4,714,568
|
|
2022
|
€4,546,125
|
€378,254
|
€4,924,379
|
|
|
Contract
|
|
|
|
2023
|
Operational €1.5m (ex VAT)
NBS €2,245,621
|
€254,375
|
€3,999,996*
|
|
2024
|
Operational €1.5m (ex VAT)
NBS €2,229,749
|
€218,698
|
€3,948,447*
|
|
2025
|
Operational €1.5m (ex VAT)
NBS €2,482,310
|
€254,251
|
€4,236,561*
|
|
|
|
|
*(ex VAT)
|
As the organisation referred to is a company limited by guarantee, certain matters including management of resources and governance issues do not fall under the remit of my Department.
