Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I strayed on to addiction so I am going from one addiction to another. I think I can do that.

Broadly speaking, this Bill is welcome. I would have preferred if the modern world of betting had not come upon us in the way that it has over the past four years since the introduction of the iPhone. There is more technology in the iPhone than there was in the first craft that took men to the moon. That is a fact. That is what the Minister for Finance is up against. There has to be regulation. There has to be control. If money is being exchanged and bets are being placed with whatever type of remote operator, there has to be a tax take. Whatever money will accrue from it and whatever regulation has to be put in place to ensure it will happen must be put in place and the Minister will certainly have my support in doing so.

Again, when I go back to reminiscing about the old system of bookies and bookmakers, they were a great group of people. The bookies who went to race meetings were highly respectable, honourable people, whose handshake and word was their bond. Like Deputy Finian McGrath, I would not want to stop anybody having fun and enjoying themselves. In Killarney, Tralee and Listowel, we have great race meetings every year which are a massive passive contributor to the finances of our country. It is a great sport and a massive industry. What the Minister is doing today, in my view, will neither hurt nor hinder that. All he is doing is trying to bring in regulation where regulation is required, bring in control where control is required and take a tax where a tax take is due. There is nothing wrong with that.

I wish the Minister and all Members every good luck and health and happiness in 2014.

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