Agricultural and equestrian activities accounted for just one-third of events at the controversial Punchestown Agricultural and Equestrian Event Centre this year.
The €14.8 million project was 100 per cent funded by the Government to create an event centre of international standard to cater for the equestrian and farming communities.
An agreement between Punchestown and the Government stipulated that the centre could be used "from time to time" for non-agricultural/equestrian events, with the consent of the Department of Agriculture.
However, agricultural and equestrian events account for just 56 of the 159 days the centre is in use this year. Some 60 per cent of the 159 days were spent setting up events, with the centre being used by and open to the public on just over 60 days.
Agricultural and equestrian events took place on 24 of those days.
According to figures provided by Punchestown, 20 events are taking place this year. These include nine agricultural and equestrian events, which account for 35 per cent of the centre's use this year.
Non-agricultural/equestrian events account for the remaining 103 days. Nearly half of the days on which the centre is in use, or 70 days, are being taken up by the forthcoming Santa's Kingdom event.
Other events have included the Witnness music festival in July, the Garden Equipment show in January and, most recently, the International Motorsport Show in October.
New stables at Punchestown, which accounted for nearly one-third of the €14.8 million cost of the project, were used for just four of this year's 20 events. These included the recent European Eventing Championships, the largest international equestrian event in Europe in 2003, with the centre being used for 14 days before, during and after the event.
Other agricultural/equestrian events included the Pony Club summer camp, which was held for six days in June and July, the national carriage-driving championships and the national Charolais show.
The stables have, however, been used extensively for race meetings, having replaced the existing racecourse stables. Other agricultural events included the Massey Ferguson trade show, the John Deere trade show, the farm tractor and machinery trade show and the national tractor-pulling championships.
Last week the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, defended the Government decision to provide full grant aid to the project, describing it as "a public good project". He said Ireland had lost out to international equestrian events in the past because of a lack of suitable facilities.