If the horseracing industry does not treat stable staff properly they will work elsewhere, the House was warned. There had been tremendous progress in providing facilities for racegoers and prize money for owners, trainers and jockeys, but the forgotten people were stable staff, said Mr Sean Power (FF, Kildare South).

"In general, they earn meagre levels of pay, there is scant recognition or reward for their effort and in many cases they are in poor accommodation, work long hours and have very little time off. There are inconsistent levels of training for youngsters starting out and no obvious career development structure."

With the huge improvement in the economy most industries were "crying out" for staff and the racehorse industry would have the same problem if it did not cater for its stable staff. He was speaking during the introduction of legislation to reform fundamentally the structure of the horseracing industry. The Bill will establish a new body called Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) to replace the Irish Horseracing Authority and to take over certain functions from the Turf Club and the National Hunt Steeplechase Committee.

Under the legislation, the horse and greyhound racing industries will receive about £46 million this year - equivalent to the revenue from excise duty on off-course betting, with HRI getting 80 per cent and 20 per cent to Bord na gCon.

The new board of the authority would have 12 members on a rotating basis but there would be no representation for punters. The Minister, Mr Walsh, said, however, the authority would be required to set up and maintain a racegoers' consultative forum.

There was broad welcome for the Bill but Fine Gael's agriculture spokesman, Mr Alan Dukes, said the Minister was "fobbing off" punters with the forum. Labour's agriculture spokesman, Mr Willie Penrose, agreed. A forum was only a "sop" and a "toothless tiger". It was "at boardroom level that one has influence. One can make all the recommendations one wants but if nobody is listening they are useless."

Mr Dukes also called on the Minister to speak to the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Ms de Valera, to take more "determined measures" than she had so far to ensure that Ireland would not lose out in the expanding range provided by digital television. Mr Dukes said that in horse and greyhound racing "we have images that are marketable at home, in the UK and elsewhere". Mr Walsh should "awaken that lady and get her to act appropriately for Irish interests".

Listing some of the elements of the Bill, the Minister pointed out that it would allow for a general lifting of restrictions on punters betting with bookies outside Ireland.

The Bill now goes to committee stage.