Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 41, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:"39.The Minister shall, within 3 months of the passing of this Act, present to the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on his or her future plans for betting duty and the funding of the horse racing and greyhound racing industries and his or her plans for taxation of other areas of gambling.".

I am aware that the issue of the horse and greyhound fund will soon be dealt with by the Oireachtas. Amendment No. 16 is proposed because there is a need for a broader debate on the betting, horse and greyhound industries. In my party's view there is a need to make progress towards or for a return to a link between betting duty and racing. Everyone with whom my party has discussed this issue is up for holding such a debate. More broadly, there are issues around why online betting has not been subject to VAT all these years and why other forms of gambling do not attract duty. A report, as requested in the amendment, would be a starting point.

Amendment No. 17 would be a means to seek a debate on statistical data on the issue of applying betting duty to the punter, as opposed to the bookie. This would be a return to an older way of doing things. There has been a misrepresentation of what my party has proposed with regard to betting duty. For example, in our alternative budget we stated the preference would be for placing the levy on the punter.