Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 to 85, inclusive, together.

In a previous response to the Deputy on 30 June 2010, I was pointing out that there is a significant crossover between betting and horseracing. Horseracing needs betting; indeed it would be hard to imagine it surviving otherwise. While horseracing may be only one sport which punters bet on, it is still the main driver of sports betting, particularly for Irish punters, and were horseracing not to exist there would be a massive gap for the betting sector to fill. I would also cite that one of the biggest sponsors of horse races is the betting sector; the betting sector lobbies for more night-time racing and for racing events to be more evenly spread out and not to clash - this is in order to enhance betting revenue. In addition, whenever events occur that prevent racing being held, such as bouts of bad weather, betting turnover falls substantially.

My previous response to the Deputy noted that any extension of betting duty will be applied on a fair basis and should not be perceived as an attempt to threaten jobs. Furthermore, any tax changes will be in tandem with ongoing work by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on issues surrounding licensing and regulation. I am not considering the linking of betting duty receipts to technology education or technology infrastructure.