Mattie McGrath: Bookmakers Denied CRSS After Revenue 'Casual Trader' Ruling
Deputy Mattie McGrath raised the exclusion of Irish Bookmakers Association members from the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), arguing they have been unfairly denied support after being classified by revenue as casual traders. He said long-standing bookmakers who pay taxes and move between race meetings have been blanked from CRSS even though newer businesses can access the scheme.
Issue raised
McGrath told the Dáil that members of the Irish Bookmakers Association have been denied access to the CRSS grant because revenue classified them as casual traders due to the nature of moving pitches between different race meetings.
Businesses affected
He cited a specific operator in business for 15 years who attends 17 tracks, pays taxes, completes revenue returns and pays PSI, yet was denied CRSS support. McGrath described the exclusion as unfair to legitimate business people who work hard and employ others.
Government response
The Tánaiste, speaking as Minister for Business and Industry, replied that the CRSS scheme compensates businesses whose premises are closed as a consequence of COVID orders and is intended to help with ongoing running costs of those premises. If businesses do not have a premises they are not eligible for CRSS, but they may be eligible for other grants, the wage subsidy scheme or supports from local enterprise offices; the Tánaiste said supports should be considered as a package.
Call for review
McGrath urged the Tánaiste to examine the revenue classification and the CRSS eligibility for this cohort, arguing the current approach leaves established bookmakers unfairly excluded and requires reconsideration.
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Deputy Collins and myself for a topical issue on that same issue, and we fell on their fears, and it is very, very sad. Tanaiste, today you are the Minister for Business and Industry, and it is appropriate that the Irish Bookmakers Association and their members have been just denied any access to the CRSS grant, and it is very unfair. They pay taxes, they do the revenue returns, and they pay PSI, and they pay a lot of people. And the revenue classified them as casual traders, just because of the nature they move around to different, with their pitches around to different race meetings. It is totally unfair, these legitimate business people are denied access to this scheme, and a new business that started up maybe two, three months ago, four months ago can get it. I have a, talking to one here, he is in business for 15 years, he goes to 17 tracks, pays his taxes, and he is denied, blanked, because the revenue have described them as casual traders, denied access to the CRSS grant scheme. I think it is something you should examine, please, because it is unfair, these cohorts of business people who work hard, pay their taxes, and just blanked in denial. Thank you Deputy. Tanaiste. Thanks Deputy. The way the CRSS, the CRSS scheme works is it compensates businesses whose premises are closed as a consequence of COVID orders, and is supposed to help them with the ongoing running costs of those premises, even when they are closed. But if they do not have a premises, well then they are not eligible, but they may be eligible for other grants, and they may be eligible for the wage subsidy scheme, they may be eligible for some of the grants that are available to the local enterprise offices. So, I think it is important to see it as a package. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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