Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 79:

In page 73, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:"52. The Minister shall, within one month of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on options available for the introduction of a rate of 3 per cent betting duty for online and in shop bets.”.

This calls for a report on the options available to introduce a 3% betting duty for online and in-shop bets. In the budget for 2009, betting duty was increased to 2% but this increase was never implemented. The portion of tax from betting has decreased over recent years.

It is paid into the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, which needed to be topped up by the State in previous years. We need movement on this matter.

I welcome the fact that online gambling and betting exchanges are being brought into the tax net. This is long overdue and I hope that we will see returns in the next calendar year, but we need to consider other areas that can increase revenue. We have discussed many of them during our debate on this Bill. My party is critical of some elements relating to, for example, single fathers and so on. More can be done on betting. It is a vice. Some people enjoy the odd flutter. This matter is at the Minister's discretion. We have no problem with taxing alcohol. There were increases in the tax on wine last year and this year. Cigarettes are often targeted. However, betting has not been targeted. With a view to considering everything, we should have a report on the implications of a 3% tax rate on online gambling and shops. The rate used to be 10%.