Taoiseach Leo Varadkar dismisses animosity between FAI and Irish racing over funding
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar quelled calls for the Government to review its policy on the redistribution of betting tax after the matter was raised in the Dail.
The Government have been furnished with details of a specially commissioned report from the FAI which looks into the allocation of money raised from the betting levy.
The KHSK report flagged concerns over the racing industry's receipt and subsequent use of funding, while it also challenged the claimed figures relating to employment generated.
The report estimates that horse and greyhound racing account for 60 per cent of bets placed in Ireland - and argues that football and other sports bet on by gamblers are "effectively subsidising racing" via the yearly €100m levy.
In January of this year, departing FAI chairperson Roy Barrett put forward that €1.5bn has been committed to horseracing and greyhound racing - and it has been argued that money has been used to finance the racing industry.
Barrett pleaded for a review the distribution of taxes gathered from gambling in Ireland and made an argument for football to receive its fair share because of its contribution.
However, the Taoiseach warned against a disaccord between the two industries.
'I just don’t agree with your approach on this, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar responded after Labour TD Aodhan O'Riordain raised the matter.
'I wouldn’t pit sport against the equestrian industry in Ireland.
'There was a time where the budget for sport in Ireland was something like €7m.
'Now it’s going to be €150m and we’re going to continue to invest in sport. I don’t think you should pit sport against the equestrian industry.
'The equestrian industry, Horse Sports Ireland, stud farms… employs tens of thousands of people.
'It’s worth around a billion euros per year. If you want to do them down, don’t pit them against sport, that’s not fair.'
