Minister puts Irish racing on notice over reputational standing
Charlie McConalogue, Ireland's minister for agriculture, is a relative newcomer to the world of racing. The 44-year-old from County Donegal was initially appointed minister of state for law reform when the current coalition government took up office in July 2020.
Just over two months later he was handed the agriculture portfolio after successive incumbents, Barry Cowen and Dara Colleary, were caught up in controversies that made their positions untenable.
While McConalogue remains something of an unknown quantity, his speech at Horse Racing Ireland's 2021 awards ceremony this month suggests he is keeping a watchful eye on the sector.
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