Proposed Centre Of Excellence For Horse Sport Ireland Not Going Ahead In Rathcoole

Kildare TD Minister Martin Heydon has said a venue within the county might be pursued in the future.

The proposed Centre of Excellence for Horse Sport Ireland for Greenogue in Rathcoole will not be going ahead.

The Board of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI)  that due to external economic factors beyond its control, the agreement in principle to build a Centre of Excellence at Greenogue, in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin will no longer be pursued.

There had been much dispute over the HSI, located in Millenium Park in Naas, moving its centre of excellence to Dublin and the potential loss of jobs for the county.

In a statement HSI said: "The proposal to enter into a 35-year lease with Greenogue Equestrian will not be advanced and in the context of the HSI Strategic Plan 2019-2024, an alternative strategy will be considered.

"Consequently, as a legally binding lease will not be entered into, any construction development works will not be tendered for, and the proposal to further develop the site to Horse Sport Ireland’s specifications will fall away.

"The decision has been taken by the Board of HSI after careful consideration of the current economic context and prudent assessment of the inherent risk factors arising for such a significant strategic project.

"The spiralling construction costs, due to inflation in the economy in general and increases in raw material costs because of the war in Ukraine, mean that the building costs of the proposed Centre of Excellence could increase by at least 50 per cent, making the project non-viable," it said.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon: " Horse Sport Ireland are definitely not giving up on the dream of a centre of excellence and that is something I very much agree with them on.

"What we want is what's best for Horse Sport Ireland," he insisted.

"We are a county with inextricable links to the equine sector, so it stands to reason that a Kildare based venue might well have a shot.

"I suppose it needs to be the right thing for what is a national entity, and I wil continue to work with them on that," he added.

Minister Martin Heydon broke the news on Kfm on Thursday morning's Kildare Today: