Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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127. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a schedule of sporting organisations that have made proposals in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in respect of the distribution of the horse and greyhound fund; if he has received any requests from organisations (details supplied) to increase the betting levies since they were introduced; and the number of occasions he, his predecessors and-or officials have met with Horse Racing Ireland and Greyhound Racing Ireland. [22309/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, it is important to clarify that in my role as Minister for Finance, I have no involvement in respect of the distribution of the Horse and Greyhound Fund. The Fund is under the remit of the Department of Agriculture as it contains equestrian and animal welfare elements, in this way it differs from regular sports funding. The way in which Exchequer funding to the Horse and Greyhound Fund is allocated is decided as part of the annual estimates process which is a matter for my colleagues, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Any request on proposals or meetings regarding the distribution of the Horse and Greyhound Fund would be more appropriately directed to their Departments and they would be best placed to provide the requested schedules. You should also note that there is no record of sporting organisations that have made proposals to the Minister for Finance in the years 2019-2023 in respect of the distribution of the Horse and Greyhound Fund.

Horse Racing Ireland has publicly made requests for an increase in betting duty in the past. The most recent increase in the betting duty rate was in Budget 2019, prior to that the last increase was in 1975. While historically there had been a link between revenues accruing from betting duty receipts and the allocation to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, there is no longer any hypothecation of these revenues. The Deputy should note that the yield from betting duty and betting intermediary duty goes directly to the Exchequer. Neither I nor my officials have had meetings with either Horse Racing Ireland or Greyhound Racing Ireland in relation to increasing betting duty in the years specified.