Minister - financial support to Racecourses reinstated

Northern Ireland Executive
10 Feb 2022, 17:30 GMT+10

Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA, has secured changes to legislation, allowing funding to be restored to Northern Ireland's two horse racecourses.

The Horse Racing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which achieved Royal Assent on 2 February 2022, primarily amends the Horse Racing (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 and allows for payments from the Horse Racing Fund to Down Royal and Downpatrick racecourses to be reinstated. The Fund is made up from a levy collected from licensed bookmakers in Northern Ireland, and provides financial support to horseracing at Northern Ireland's two racecourses.

Welcoming the change to the legislation, Minister Poots said: "The Horse Racing Fund was set up to support horseracing at Northern Ireland's two racecourses. As a result of a change in the management at Down Royal, the new operator has been ineligible for support since 2019, as it was not specifically named in the legislation. Payments to Downpatrick have also been suspended since 2019, as to only support one racecourse could have created unfair competition."

The Minister continued: "I am grateful to the AERA Committee and Assembly Members more widely for their support for this legislation, and for ensuring its timely passage through the Assembly. I am pleased that the Act has been enacted and that payments can now resume immediately to both Downpatrick and Down Royal, and therefore help ensure the two courses can continue to provide top quality racing in Northern Ireland, and at the same time support many businesses in their areas."

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