I move the Second Reading of this Bill. This Bill consists of the totalisator sections of the Betting Bill which has only a temporary life. The people who are most interested in racing are very anxious that the totalisator should be set up here. It is not possible to make arrangements to have the totalisator set up because of the capital outlay that will be involved under the provisions of the temporary Act. On the other hand it has been alleged that it would be most undesirable to wait until the new Betting Bill could have been prepared and passed by the House. Consequently this Bill has been introduced. It is proposed, if this Bill be passed, to give a licence to operate the totalisator jointly to the Turf Club and the National Hunt Steeplechase Committee. It will be a condition of the licence that these two bodies shall delegate the management of the totalisator to a committee which will consist of three representatives of each of them, a representative of the Metropolitan Race Meeting Executives, a representative of the Provincial Meeting Executives, and two members representing the breeders, owners and trainers. It is also proposed that the Government's receipts should be two per cent. of the total takings of the totalisator. The powers in the Bill, enabling the Revenue Commissioners to set up and work the totalisator, are powers that will not be exercised unless in case of a break down of the negotiations with the bodies represented or some other circumstance that would make it necessary for a Government Department to set up the totalisator in order to have it actually worked and tried out here.
Totalisator Bill, 1929—Second Stage.
We are in favour of the principle of the Bill for two reasons. While we do not accept the viewpoint that betting is ethically wrong, we realise that in certain circumstances it may be very detrimental to the community as a whole. We are in favour, therefore, so far as it can be done within reasonable limits, of having betting regularised. We also feel that if betting is to be regularised and if the State is to derive a revenue from betting, some proportion of that revenue should be devoted to encouraging horse-racing, not so much because it is a pastime which everyone will approve of, but because it is considered—at least, so far as I personally, and the members of the Joint Committee which was appointed to consider the operations of the Betting Act are concerned—to be a pastime essential to the welfare and the development of the horse breeding industry in the country. I, and I think a number of others who know the conditions under which Irish racing has been carried on, feel that the present system of betting on race courses has not been such as to inspire confidence in the mind of the public in the straightness and probity of those who own, run and ride horses on race courses. There is some feeling that the private bookmaker has acquired an undue influence over certain people associated with the sport, and it is thought that the establishment of the totalisator, by curbing and restricting that influence in some way, will help to secure cleaner and straighter running of horses on race courses, and to improve the quality of the entertainment offered to those who like to go there for wagering purposes. In that way it is hoped to make Irish racing of more interest to the public and to increase the appeal of what has been called the shop-window of Irish horse-breeding to the public generally. For these reasons we are in favour of the general principles of the Bill. It is possible that when it comes to Committee we may have some amendments to put down.