Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

A figure of 0.5% is very small and 1% would do wonders. Experts who know far more than I are trying to get their heads around this. Only two of the companies operate in Ireland and much offshore betting is done with companies that do not operate in Ireland. The major problem is how to get at the tax of a company that operates somewhere else. Some of the companies are offshore altogether.

In the United States it has been banned. The authorities could not get at it so they banned it, with hefty fines for anyone caught betting on the Internet or by telephone. These options are on the table although I do not wish to send out the message that this is the option we will use. There are enough interests in the broad industry for everyone to come together to share so that this industry, which is wonderful for its members and economically important for the country, can survive. A small burden could be borne to maximise the taxation from the industry and this would be more than sufficient to put the horseracing and greyhound industries in excellent shape for the next decade and beyond.

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