Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for the delay in responding. The note is in English.

The Bill provides that a person in the State who fails to comply with a direction from Revenue to stop providing Internet access, advertising or promotion services to an unlicensed remote operator is committing an offence. The amendment provides for the penalties that will apply to such an offence. Section 29 inserts sections 32A and 32B into the principal Act to provide a mechanism to allow Revenue to prevent unlicensed operators from carrying on businesses in the State. These sections will prohibit Internet service providers, advertisers or persons promoting products from providing services in the State for unlicensed remote operators. Revenue may issue compliance notices to these service providers. The service providers may appeal a compliance notice to the District Court which will either affirm the notice or direct Revenue to withdraw it. A person who fails to comply with a notice by the specified date shall be guilty of an offence.

The amendment sets out the penalties that will apply on conviction for an offence of failure to comply with a notice by the specified date. The Revenue Commissioners have been given temporary responsibility for enforcement against unlicensed remote operators pending the establishment of the gambling regulator under the proposed gambling control legislation.