Speaking at the launch at the Irish Army School of Equitation in Dublin, Minister Coveney said “I commend Horse Sport Ireland, Teagasc and the Royal Dublin Society who have combined their expertise to produce this comprehensive report which involved a detailed consultation process with stakeholders and I was delighted to have been able to attend a number of the regional meetings that were organised as part of that process”.
The report contains 35 key recommendations over a broad range of issues, including improving the quality through more focused breeding, developing the education and training structure for the transfer of knowledge to breeders, improving the marketing and sales capacity across the industry, increasing participation in the sector, progressing the health and welfare of horses and deepening the institutional capacity to deliver on the goals of the strategy.
The Minister added “I have been conscious of the absence of a coherent vision and plan for the sport horse sector to enable it to grow and develop and reach its full potential. We have all the natural advantages for horse breeding and production in this country, a natural affinity for the horse, an abundance of horsemanship and world class riders”.
Concluding, Minister Coveney said that the Strategy Report provides a roadmap to inject greater confidence and professionalism into the industry and will be used as a vehicle to promote and inform policy with particular emphasis on job creation and sustainable enterprise development and the facilitation of export led growth.
