Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The House deserves a proper explanation as to why there has been such a significant delay in the introduction of the betting legislation. I understand the betting legislation was first published in July 2012 but it was recently withdrawn. Earlier this year, in July, the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 was published. Clearly, issues arise regarding the imposition of a levy . I have no doubt that this is posing difficulties for the Government but we deserve a proper explanation as to the status of the Bill and why there has been such a significant delay. We all know betting patterns have changed and that an increasing number of people are using online facilities to bet. There is a potential source of revenue for the State that is not being captured at present.

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