Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand the challenges faced by those with a gambling addiction and the ongoing issues that it raises for families. I am fully aware of the negative effect it can have on individuals and on children in particular. Gambling addiction is a very serious issue and some people find it very hard to cope with gambling. However, in the context of the proposed tax increase from 1% to 2%, we must ask how we can minimise the damage done to employment in the domestic economy. This will be a major blow to the many men and women who work in the sector. There is a genuine fear that hundreds of betting shops, including many in my constituency, will close as a result of this tax increase. I fully endorse my party colleague's very constructive amendment which calls for a review of the increase in three months' time to assess the damage it has done.

I would like the Minister to make a move on the online betting market, which has exploded in recent years. It is now possible to pick up a smartphone, download an application, get an upfront allowance and bet away to one's heart's content. I believe we should be targeting the online market. There are lots of local bookmakers that do not operate on a big scale and which play an important role in the context of social isolation in rural areas. Some people go along to the local betting shop in a small town or village and they have a chat, a cup of tea or coffee and have a small flutter on a horse or on the lottery. There is a degree of social engagement attached to it. While I certainly understand all of the issues around gambling addiction and welcome that some of the money raised will be spent on that problem area, we must look at the effect this tax increase will have on small independent bookmakers who are finding it hard to stay in business.

See this speech in context