Michael Fitzmaurice Questions Weatherby Tender, Passport and Levy
Michael Fitzmaurice questioned officials about equine governance, procurement of DNA testing services, passport data and foal registration timelines during a committee session. He sought clarification on whether Weatherby's handles passport testing under a public procurement process, the length of any contract, sample processing arrangements and the contents of model passports.
Pressing on alleged Horseport Ireland article
He referred to an Irish Independent article dated Sunday 5 October 2025 about Horseport Ireland and reported bullying complaints, asking officials whether the report was accurate. He said he did not know the details and invited officials to respond or to provide a written reply.
Procurement of DNA testing and Weatherby's
He thanked an official called Dennis and asked whether Weatherby's DNA work had been put out to procurement. Officials said a procurement exercise took place last year, that laboratories were approached because not all carry out equine services, and that parentage verification is required in addition to genotyping. The official recalled around three providers being considered and that quotations were sought; the exact contract length was not known immediately and would be confirmed later. Officials also explained that samples are now sent to the lab daily to speed testing, that labs do not knowingly withhold samples, and that batching arrangements (referenced as a 96-slot incubator) had affected past turnaround times.
Passport content and model format
He raised breeder concerns that some stud book passports appeared to contain less information. Officials said passports follow a European model passport format, updated in 2021, and that stud book passports contain the same information. If breeders find incorrect or missing details, passports can be returned for correction and officials will update them.
Registration deadlines, levy revenue and Connemara oversight
He asked about foal registration timing and was told registration is within 12 months of birth, with the department advising breeders to initiate the process within six months or before leaving the farm. Officials confirmed a foal born in July 2025 could be registered up to July 2026. On funding, officials said the high performance levy is expected to raise in the order of €240,000 towards Olympic programmes. He also queried oversight of the Connemara association; officials said the Connemara body is an affiliate with its own independent board, that the department provides funding oversight but does not run the organisation.
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Okay, thanks. I'm just going to ask you one thing. There's an article here, and this is to back up Deputy Lawless, and you can answer it if you want. It's up to yourself. I don't know. The Irish Independent. Sunday the 5th of October 25th, Horseport Ireland hit with bullying complaints as showjumpers revolt over process to recruit new manager. Is that right, or is that total, some journalist con made? That's what I'm asking. I don't know. Because it's not the line of the intended agenda, I'll leave it to you. Is that the wrong article? And you can send a written reply if you wish. I'm not familiar, Deputy, with that. Okay, all right, that sounds, no problem, because I don't know. Question for you, Dennis, and a few times I contacted you, I want to thank you for helping me out, right, that's the first thing. Weatherby is doing basically the DNA crack. Do you have to put that out to procurement? We went through an exercise about, I think. No, do you put it to procurement or not? Yeah, we went through a procurement exercise last year, Deputy. So, and did many tender for it? We approached labs because not all carry out equine services and we need, in particular, the parentage verification on top of the genotyping. No, no, no. When you put out a procurement document, people apply? Yeah, well, there's a combination of apply and making people aware. But like I said, not all offer that type of service. It's quite a particular service. So, off the top of my head, we certainly had three. Yeah, three. Okay. And how long is that contract for? Well, the contract is in line with the tenders of the department issues. No, but I presume it's she to put out the thing, is it? Is it not she to put out the procurement process to get Weatherby's or whoever wins it? Well, we put out for quotations, like I said. Yeah, no, but when you're looking for a passport, you're saying Weatherby's does the work for you. Is that right or not? That's right, Deputy. Yeah. What I'm asking is, do you put out for that work that they do, do you put out a contract and how long is it for? I can revert. Off the top of my head, I'm not entirely sure how long the contract is for. Okay. And one time ago, I think in speaking to you, you had to have a certain amount of samples and it just told the job up. Has that changed? You had to have a certain amount of samples in the incubator, we call it. And now, is that the same story all the time? No, we don't. Well, certainly the lab, not to our knowledge, withhold samples. And there's typically always a critical mass to send the samples in because there's other equines being genotyped at the same time. Okay. Okay. We've also, Deputy, I think part of the issue previously was we were sending samples a number of times per week. So in order to speed up that process, we know the sample's going on a daily basis to the lab. And that is, I think at the time, we would have discussed a scenario where there was 96 slots in the, as you called it, the incubator. And if they didn't have 96, it meant that it was a higher test cost. But the fact that there's samples coming in every day, it means that they can test more often and speed it up the process. Mr Grant, how much will you raise from the levy? On the high performance levy, we expect to raise in the order of about 240,000 euros towards our Olympic programmes and as I mentioned earlier. Okay. On the books, and I spoke to you, Dennis, about this, you stated there earlier that you have a year. I understood that I had a case where a foal was born in October, November, but the next year then wasn't the same year. So it's not a year. Is that correct? So in terms of the legislation, it's within 12 months of birth. So the department will always say that the breeder should initiate the process within six months or before they leave the farm. And then they have to be registered within the 12 months. So a foal can be a burden in July 25 and you can still get it up to July 26. Is that correct? Yes, that's correct. The year doesn't finish from January to December. Is that right? Yes, that's correct. Okay. I just wanted to know that, to understand it. And in relation to books, and I've brought this up to you, some breeders will say that there's less information on the books than what used to be on it, say the mother or whatever stuff was on it before. Is that correct? That books have gone out with relevant information missing? Yes. No, it's not missing. Sorry. I was going to say they have gone out with the same information. Pardon? They have gone out with the same information. As I mentioned to some of the deputies earlier, just before you arrived with us, Deputy, there's a model passport format that we have to follow that's issued out at a European level. So all of our passports follow that. So? So the information is contained within us. Now, the model passport format has changed over time. So the EU issued an updated model format in 2021. So the look might be slightly different, but the information contained. Are they the same information? If it's a stud book passport, yes. And if there's information missing, it can be rectified, can it? Well, there shouldn't be information missing, but we do issue out with our passports that if there's anything that breeders may find that's incorrect or needs changing, they can send the passport back to us and we will update it. Dennis, you mentioned there that you have oversights over the Connemara side of it, yeah? No, Deputy, there was a question asked, there was a rumour that we're taking over the Connemara, and I absolutely, we're not. Are they affiliated to you? They're an affiliate, but we don't have oversight. They're an independent organisation. They have their own board. We have, other than that, they are an affiliate and they're a beneficiary of some of our Department of Agriculture funding and... Well, do you have oversight for that funding? Yeah, for the funding, yes. And do you have any problems about passports with Connemaras? I'm not aware of any passport issues with the Connemara society, but again, we would not have oversight of that. Has the system, say we spoke about, I won't be long, we spoke about the last time you were in, and in fairness, I think it has improved. We spoke about the number of CAFs that the Department of Agriculture are able to hammer through fairly fast, in fairness to where they're done, where they're boarding and where you get a card and all that, and I understand that through DNA that years takes longer, but where are we at with a bulletproof system? Because there was problems arising that a horse could be gone... Briefly, Deputy. One second. That a horse could be gone somewhere that when Witts and that went to check it. Have we, have we, how quick on average now is a book processed? Very, very briefly now, because I need to get to a number of other speakers, and we are tied to... Yeah, four. If we have, once we have the DNA test, Deputy, we're issuing the passport within 78 days. What do you mean? 78. 78? 728. All right, okay. Okay, thank, thank you.
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