Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

Pictured with Mairead are Liam Aylward MEP; Chairman of ITBA, Dr. Dean Harron; Vice-Chairman ITBA (and incoming Chair of ITBA) Joe Osborne and ITBA Manager Shane O' Dwyer.

Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness today hosted a delegation from the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association in the European Parliament in Brussels.

The delegation led by ITBA chairman, Dean Harron, raised a number of issues of concern for breeders in Ireland, including reform of the CAP, funding of the race horse sector and the impact of on-line gambling on the sector.

“It is important that the concerns of breeders are raised in this critical period of discussion on reform of the CAP,” McGuinness said. “Many breeders in Ireland are relatively small scale, with 95pc owning 2 or 3 mares.

“Yet, critically, up to 20,000 jobs are reliant on the sector.”

“It’s a sector that makes an important contribution, both locally and to the national economy.”

McGuinness said that issues of animal welfare, transport and use of veterinary products were also high on the agenda.

“The current Danish presidency has highlighted a number of these issues and there will be developments during this term which may impact on the sector,” she said.