Grant Thornton

Lobbying Organisation Grant Thornton

Date published 16 May, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Jan, 2018 to 30 Apr, 2018

Specific Details 18/4/18 EQUINE SUMMIT ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION (organised by GAIN Equine Nutrition, Alltech, Grant Thornton and The Irish Field). Follow on to November 2017 Equine Summit. Stakeholders from thoroughbred and sport horse sectors, discussion of shared challenges and opportunities. April 2018 event attendess included the Minister and Ass. Sec. Gen. of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intended results Aim of the event was to help thoroughbred and sport horse sectors move forward with items raised at November 2017 Equine Summit.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Sasha Kerins, Grant Thornton Partner. See comments below re: (non-lobbying) role in the event and the nature of the event.

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Event / Reception (1)

18/4/2018 EQUINE SUMMIT ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION (organised by GAIN Equine Nutrition, Alltech, Grant Thornton, The Irish Field). Follow on to November 2017 Equine Summit. Aim to help thoroughbred and sport horse sectors move forward with items raised at Nov. event. April 2018 event attendees included Minister and Ass. Sec. Gen. of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Main topics; (1) labour shortages, (2) equine technology, (3) funding for the sector. Grant Thornton representative (Sasha Kerins, Partner) did not lobbying on behalf of Grant Thornton or our clients (role facilitating round table discussion). Representatives who put their views forward (including to the Minister and Ass. Sec. Gen) included representatives of Grant Thornton clients; Glanbia plc, Horse Sport Ireland, Horse Racing Ireland, Irish National Stud, Dermot Weld, Teagasc, Irish Thoroughbred Capital Limited. Further information publically available at www.theirishfield.ie & www.granththornton.ie

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Michael Creed Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Michael Creed TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kevin Smyth Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)