Mr. Phil Meaney:

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Bord na gCon has been invited here to discuss draft amendments contained in the Horse Racing Ireland (amendment) Bill 2014. These amendments arise largely due to the Indecon report into the horse racing industry. Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, and the Irish Greyhound Board, IGB, are joined as a party to the amendments. We are ad idemin terms of the objective of the draft general scheme, which is directed towards the provision of enhanced control and accountability. The board understands the need for enhanced control and accountability in any body that receives public funding. It has no issue with the proposed ministerial sanction that would allow for the withholding of funding instalments from the IGB if the Minister is dissatisfied with the board's plans, strategic or otherwise.
The IGB is preparing a response to the Indecon review of the greyhound industry and the work of the board, and it will be submitted in the coming weeks. We will return here to discuss with the committee our response to the Indecon report after our submission to the Minister is made.

It is likely that the Indecon report - and our response to it - may in time necessitate certain legislative changes, which, if invited to do so, we will return to discuss with members.

There is no doubt that the Indecon report is a seminal document on an industry that is in transition in many respects. Greyhound racing has been particularly exposed to the consequences of the recession and the severe reduction in disposable income in recent years. It is clear that the current climate has impacted very negatively on racing attendances and, more importantly, customer spend levels at our stadia. The challenge for the board is to take into account the key findings of the Indecon report and create a workable operational programme to address the issues raised. We need to consolidate our existing audiences and customers but also to look to a younger demographic and new markets.

Although the matter may not fall within the committee's specific remit, I am of the view that there is an important discussion to be had on betting tax, the poor return to the Exchequer arising from current tax levels and the tax-free operation of online wagering. We live in a digital age wagering will increasingly become an online phenomenon and to fail to ensure that this activity does not make a significant contribution through betting tax is not sustainable. Changes in this regard would help to ensure that a proportionate contribution to the Exchequer is made and reduce the net reliance of greyhound racing on the horse and greyhound fund.