Coveney defends presence of horse director in China

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has defended allowing an executive to play a key role in the recent trade trip to China, despite him being disciplined for a conflict of interest involving horse sales to Chinese clients.

Michael O’Hagan quit as the chief executive of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM), and the director of international affairs at Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), on Monday. He was about to be disciplined for a second time for the role his wife, Josephine O’Hagan, played in private sales of show jumping horses to ITM’s Chinese thoroughbred clients.

However, the minister said allowing Mr O’Hagan to complete the organisation of the equine element of April’s trip to China was the right thing to do.