Advertisment
The advertisement was seen on the advertisers’ own website and invited people to become a member of their organisation. The advertisement listed a few reasons for joining the organisation, one of which was a letter of support from them for access to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). Further information about this scheme stated:
“As part of Budget 2024, announced Tuesday, October 10th, funding for the agri-environmental scheme increased by €40 million. This will bring the total allocation for the scheme to €200 million for 2024. The minister announced that Tranche 2 of ACRES will open for applications in the “next few weeks”. Don’t wait, join the Irish Horse Board to meet the membership requirements for equine participants of the scheme.”
Complaint
The complainant considered the advertisement misleading as they said that only breed societies were eligible to provide such letters of support for the DAFM ACRES and that the advertisers were not a recognised breed society by the DAFM. They pointed to Circular Number 8 published by the DAFM which listed the very organisations which could provide such letters of support for access to the scheme.
Response
The advertisers explained that the Irish Horse Board was a Co-operative of several thousand sport horse breeders and producers and was set up on the recommendation of an expert group established by the then Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in 1993, following the abolition of the semi state body, Bord na gCapall. They said that from its establishment, the Irish Horse Board operated the Irish Sport Horse and Irish Draught Horse Studbooks and acted as the Breed Society for these breeds.
The advertisers said that in 2006, through agreement of the Irish Horse Board as the representative organisation for breeders and producers and the Equestrian Federation of Ireland as the representative organisation for the equestrian sport side, an Umbrella Body, Horse Sport Ireland, was established for the Irish sport horse sector. They clarified that in July 2008, the Irish Horse Board handed over the operation of the Irish Sport Horse and Irish Draught Horse Studbooks to Horse Sport Ireland as part of the overall agreement, but the Irish Horse Board continued as the representative membership body for these studbooks.
The advertisers said that the Terms and Conditions of ACRES and its predecessor, Rare Breed schemes, required applicants to show proof of membership of the Breed Society for their breed for the duration of the contract, with registration of animals also required. They explained that as the current holder of the studbook licence was a Company Limited by Guarantee and did not have horse breeder/producer members, the requirement to be a member of the relevant breed society was fulfilled through applicants being a member of the breeders and producers’ representative body, the Irish Horse Board Co-Operative Society.
The advertisers said that this membership was confirmed through a letter issued by the Irish Horse Board to members who then used this confirmatory letter to demonstrate compliance with this requirement in the Terms and Conditions of ACRES.
The advertisers provided the Executive with an example of the confirmatory letter concerned and said that this arrangement had been agreed with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, who administered the ACRES scheme.
The advertisers said that the advertisement on the Irish Horse Board website was fully compliant with the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland, in that it was truthful, honest and could be substantiated by the Irish Horse Board.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
The Executive sought clarification from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as to whether or not applicants were eligible for ACRES through the presentation of a letter by the Irish Horse Board.
The Department concerned stated that the intake into the ACRES was on a phased ‘Tranche’ basis and that there had been two Tranches to date. They explained that as the overall participation in the Scheme was now in excess of the initial target of 50,000 farmers, it was not proposed that the Scheme would open again for a further intake.
The Department also clarified that for the purposes of ascertaining eligibility for the Conservation of Rare Breeds action as part of the approval process for acceptance into ACRES, documents in respect of the Irish Draught Horse breed from the Irish Horse Board Co-Operative Society (IHB) were accepted.
Conclusion
Complaint Not Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response.
The Committee noted that while the Irish Horse Board Co-Operative Society had handed over its studbooks to Horse Sport Ireland in 2008, it continued to act as the representative body for the latter organisation and was therefore in a position to supply confirmatory letters to its members for access to the ACRES programme. The Committee further noted the clarification from the DAFM in this regard and in light of this, the Complaints Committee did not consider that the advertisement breached the Code at the issue raised in the complaint.
ACTION REQUIRED:
No further action required.
