Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the positive report we received from the Minister on the Government's activities in the area of sports. In 2013, sports contributed €2.4 billion to the Irish economy, and 40,000 jobs are supported through Irish sports. The economic analysis by Senator Ó Murchú may not stand up to scrutiny but it is a fact that €818 million was spent on sporting initiatives in Ireland. This investment is welcome because it puts money into local economies, from the supermarket providing the bottles of water to the sports shops selling the equipment. I welcome the progress report on the efforts of the country to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. It would be a fantastic achievement to host it because it would put us on the world map in another way and bring in revenue from people visiting the country.

However, there a number of areas in which we can make improvements. One such area is tax relief on donations to sporting organisations. Where people make donations in other areas, such as in health, they can avail of tax reliefs. This does not happen in respect of sports but it has been recommended by the Commission on Taxation. I welcome the merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. The Minister outlined the progress that has been made in this regard in Abbotstown. In regard to the proposals on a betting tax, I understand the revenues accrued will be reinvested in horse and greyhound racing. I am a betting man who likes to have a punt almost daily, but many people bet on other sports besides horse and greyhound racing, such as soccer and GAA.