Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are happy to see the Bill reach the Seanad and my party supports it. Most people will be surprised to learn that the State does not receive money from online gambling and the Bill rightly corrects this. We, therefore, support the move.

The debate in the Dáil on the Bill opened up a debate on the wider issues of taxation and gambling. For example, even though the legislation is entitled the Betting Bill, its scope does not include casinos or other forms of gambling. The debate also threw up some interesting facts about how much the horse racing and greyhound industries had moved from being, effectively, self-financing through the betting levy to being very dependent on a State top-up. The question has been raised about how fair it is for the horse racing and greyhound racing industries to benefit from a levy on betting on all sports. These are questions for another day, but we should not shy away from discussing them at some point.

The most important element of the Bill has been discussed by others. I refer to bringing online bookies and betting exchanges into the tax net. As others and I have said, this measure is long overdue and will help to level the playing field between online services and on-street bookies.

The greyhound and horse racing industries are two of the mainstays of the rural economy because stables hire hundreds of people in areas which are otherwise bereft of employment opportunities. One of the first jobs my mother and her brothers had was in their local stables. The tourism, cultural and economic benefits from having one of the best racing industries in the world are difficult to underestimate and it is our job to make sure the industry is sustainable. Bookies throughout the State are also important employers and deserve to have a level playing field on which to compete with online bookies and betting exchanges.

As mentioned by other Senators, we must recognise that gambling can be a damaging activity. Addiction and its impact on society are factors we cannot forget when discussing the Bill. I do not think the HSE has a specific treatment programme for gambling addicts. Therefore, it would make sense to ring-fence part of the revenue generated from betting duty to treat a gambling addiction and make sure its effects are prevented in society.

I raise an issue that was brought to my attention by an independent rural bookmaker. I refer to the fee for a remote bookmaker's licence which was obviously intended as a way of charging large online providers. The Bill, as drafted, will have a negative impact on small independent bookmakers who carry on part of their business on the telephone. There should be scope for leeway in this regard.

We are approaching budget time and Sinn Féin calls for a 3% increase in betting duty. We do so because we believe the increase, accompanied by the revenue raised in taxing online bookies and betting exchanges, will go a long way towards restoring the link between revenue from betting duty and funding for the horse racing and greyhound racing industries.

I express my appreciation of the Minister's open engagement with my Dáil colleagues on the Bill and his openness to considering our amendments. We support the Bill and look forward to further engagement with the Minister on Committee and Report Stages.