Horse and Greyhound Racing (Betting Charges and Levies) Act, 1999

Thoroughbred foal levy.

5.—The Act of 1994 is hereby amended by the insertion after section 38 of the following section:

“38A.—(1) There may be charged and levied by the Authority in each year beginning with such year as may be prescribed, with the consent of the Minister, a levy (referred to subsequently in this section as ‘levy’) on all thoroughbred foals registered in a stud-book.

(2) Levy shall be paid by the owner of a thoroughbred foal registered in a stud-book.

(3) Levy shall be paid to the Authority at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed.

(4) Subject to subsection (5), the rate or scale of rates of levy in each year shall be such rate or rates as may be prescribed with the consent of the Minister.

(5) Any rate prescribed under subsection (4) shall not be more than £1,000.

(6) The Authority may enter into arrangements with another person who maintains a stud-book for the collection and recovery of levy.

(7) The Authority may recover as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction levy from any person by whom it is payable.

(8) The proceeds of levy shall be expended on the basis of a programme for the benefit of horse breeders to be decided by the Authority after consultation with any person which the Authority considers to be representative of horse breeders.

(9) In this section ‘stud-book’ means a stud-book maintained by a body approved under the European Communities (Equine Stud-Book and Competition) Regulations, 1993 ( S.I. No. 305 of 1993 ).”.