Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will extend the opening hours of licensed bookmaking premises, which it is estimated would result in additional betting duty of €5.28 million per annum to the Exchequer. [30074/11]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to extend the opening hours for betting shops for trading in the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30151/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 113 together.

The proposed Betting (Amendment) Bill, which is being drafted at present, will amend the 1931 Betting Act to inter alia establish the regulatory framework for the licensing of remote bookmakers and betting exchanges, including measures to enforce the regulatory framework. The extension of the opening hours of retail betting shops over the winter period is being considered in that context.

An estimate of the potential tax revenue the extension of the opening hours would generate is not possible to predict as it would depend on a number of factors not least the number of betting shops that would avail of the new opening hours. I note that the representative body of bookmakers has estimated potential additional revenue of around 5 million euro which would include betting duty, PAYE, PRSI etc.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will license the use of technology in betting shops, which, it is estimated, could bring in between €2 million and €4 million per annum to the Exchequer, and upwards of €10 million to the Exchequer if applied to machines in all other locations. [30075/11]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to review betting legislation, particularly in relation to the possible introduction of new technology into betting shops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30150/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 112 together.

I will not be amending the betting legislation to allow for the introduction of gaming or any other type of gambling other than that of bookmaking into betting shops. The Deputy may be aware that the Minister for Justice and Equality is currently preparing a comprehensive Bill on gambling; however, the Minister has stated that new legislation will prohibit fixed odds betting terminals.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will reform the approach to betting taxation to combine a licensing system applied to all operators, be they in shops, over the telephone, or online, with taxation on profits and not on turnover. [30076/11]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Finance when it is proposed to introduce the necessary legislation to tax online betting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30152/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 114 together.

The proposed Betting (Amendment) Bill, which is being drafted at present, will amend the 1931 Betting Act to inter alia establish the regulatory framework for the licensing of remote bookmakers and betting exchanges, including measures to enforce the regulatory framework. The drafting of the Bill, which is fairly complex, is well advanced. The Finance Act 2011 contained measures to allow for the extension of the 1% betting duty to remote bookmakers and for a 15% gross profit tax to betting exchanges. The taxation provisions are subject to a Ministerial Commencement order which can only be commenced when the Betting (Amendment) Bill is enacted.