Joe Behan (Wicklow, Independent)

I thank the Acting Chairman for allowing me the opportunity to make a brief comment.

I have no difficulty agreeing with the general sentiments expressed here today. I wish to make a plea on behalf of the small independent bookmakers and perhaps the Minister might comment on it. They are currently competing against some of the major bookmakers and this is one of the difficulties with the betting tax, as I understand it. A woman contacted me from a rural town in my constituency on this issue.

My understanding is that the major bookmakers are absorbing the 1% levy, soon to be 2%, by paying it on behalf of their customers. Small bookmakers are not able to compete on that kind of playing pitch. In my constituency there is at least one bookmaker who will close down if the 2% levy is introduced, with a loss of five jobs in a small rural town. That person contacted me and asked me to make this plea to the Minister. Perhaps he might examine whether there is unfair competition. Some of the major multinational companies, because of their activities on the Internet, are able to fund the price of the levy in their betting shops in this country. That is unfair. The Minister might make reference to this situation when he makes his concluding comments.

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