Anthony Lawlor (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome what the Minister of State has said. We are all in agreement on the need to take more tax from the bookmaking sector. We do not want a crude bludgeon but a fair system. We are driving more and more people to online services and we need to review those to determine whether we can generate more income from the sector. As most of us know, it is the small bookmakers nationally who are creating employment in small villages and towns. While many of us are concerned about gambling addiction, there are also concerns about employment. I encourage the Minister of State to permit an engagement between the Department and the bookmaking associations as soon as possible in the new year so that budget 2020 might reflect what is required to generate the same revenue in a less crude manner for the industry.