Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Deputy Pearse Doherty who made a number of good points that need to be followed up on at a time when all the sporting bodies in the country are crying out for money. We all know of the positive benefits of young people especially being involved in sport. On the other hand we know of the negative consequences of people developing an unhealthy relationship with gambling. To my mind it makes perfect sense to increase the revenue yield from this source. I believe it makes much more sense to tax winnings than to tax turnover. If I won €1,000 on a bet, I would not have any problem paying €20 or €30 to the State by way of a tax.

There is also the issue of not capturing what is essentially online gambling. We need to capture it in all its forms. That issue is complex. I accept its scope is wider than the traditional bet we are capturing with this legislation. However, the debate needs to move on quite quickly to deal with those issues.