Racing industry rides off with 67m as tribunal budgets soar

CHARLIE McCREEVY looked after his racing industry pals again yesterday, with another 67 million for horse and greyhound racing.

As the furore over his special treatment of Punchestown’s event centre dragged on, the Minister for Finance continued with his largesse for the racing industry, with the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund getting an increase of 3.2m from the Department of Sports budget on last year’s allocation.

Victims of child abuse in religious institutions will be paid up to 115m in compensation next year, while Tribunals of Inquiry will cost the taxpayer almost 30m in 2004, according to the Book of Estimates.

Yet more momentous days can be anticipated at the Moriarty Tribunal as its budget has been trebled to 10m.

Speaking of Dublin Castle, Ireland’s EU Presidency will cost the Exchequer around 50m in 2004, on top of the 23m spent this year. Next years figures include 8.5m for the Garda Síochána, to provide for security at a number of high-profile events expected to be targeted by protestors and 25m for the Department of Foreign Affairs to coordinate the six months in the throne of the EU.

Minister for Arts John O’Donoghue appears to be in charge of entertaining our European cousins as he has been given 4.2m for events and cultural programme.

Consultants are losing out as budgets for outside advisers are being slashed across a number of departments. Mr McCreevy said there was no shortage of experience in the public sector and he favoured taking firm decisions rather than constantly commissioning reports from consultants.

In President Mary McAleese’s final year of her term of office, Áras an Uachtaráin is getting an extra 162,000, bringing its spending up to 2.2m, but that includes 360,000 for the Centenarian’s Bounty, meaning there’ll be approximately 140 more 100-year-olds in the country receiving the 2,540 birthday bonus.

That perennial source of intense interest, the allocation for the Secret Service, does not disappoint as the spooks will get just 767,000, down 64,000 on this year.

That’s a few less medium dry vodka martinis, shaken not stirred, and pints of stout for Seamus Bond and his colleagues.