Crisis looming in point-to-point
THE ONGOING suspension of point-to-point racing dominated last Wednesday’s sitting of Dáil Eireann as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConologue, was strongly pressed to have the season resumed by eight cross-party TDs, including Wexford Independent, Verona Murphy.
On January 13 it was announced that the Department would not be including point-topoint racing in the category of professional and elite sports permitted to continue behind closed doors, and therefore no fixtures could take place until further notice.
It is expected that clarification on a resumption will be given in the revised ‘Living With Covid-19’ plan soon to be announced. The importance of the point-to-point industry to the economy of rural Ireland in particular, and the impending crisis resulting from the suspension, were strongly outlined, with Munster TDs very much to the fore.
It was pointed out that 37 point-to-point meetings had been staged in Ireland without any reported incidents or Covid outbreaks thanks to the implementation of the most rigid protocols, until the plug was pulled without warning.
Verona Murphy has already been vocal in her opposition to the suspension. Surprisingly, considering the county’s pre-eminent role in point-to-point, no other Wexford deputies contributed to the debate.
Murphy said: ‘Point-to-pointing is in crisis and facing very grave consequences if the Minister does not devise a way to allow it to return in the next two weeks.
‘The impact of the Minister’s decision to halt point-to-point, stating it is not an elite sport, shows a very poor understanding of the importance of the industry nationally.’
She said the ability of horse owners and handlers to establish value by being able to run horses, sell them and then use the sales revenue to purchase three-year-olds for next season in Goffs and Tattersalls is vital to the continued prosperity of the national hunt industry in Ireland.
‘County Wexford is a world leader in pointto-point racing which employs thousands of people countrywide. This is totally unacceptable. Point-to-point proceeded successfully from October to December without incident... Will the Minister confirm he will ensure this Government can come up with a remedy before its actions ruin another sector?’ she asked.
Waterford TD Matt Shanahan summed up the case made by all the speakers. He said point-to-point racing is vital to the national horse racing industry of which it is a significant component. It provided more than €45 million in export sales to the UK in 2019.
‘It supports not just all stable staff directly involved but veterinarians, farriers, horse transport, feedstock companies and many more in rural counties, and with 66 courses around the country, point-to-point is the form of horse racing that most touches rural Irish society. It is here also that the Irish horse racing financial model filters through to rural Ireland.’
The Minister said: ‘The public health advice must be put first throughout the pandemic. That is the backdrop against which we are working.
‘I certainly understand and recognise the challenges closure has had on the point-topoint sector, its importance in the overall horse racing industry, and the financial implications of it being closed.
‘The Government will consider that against the backdrop of public health advice.’