UNCERTAINTY OVER when betting tax legislation that could solve racing’s funding problems will be published is having an impact on plans for next year’s fixture list in Ireland.

While a potentially dramatic slash in the number of race meetings in Britain for 2011 is being considered due to a levy decrease, no such fixture fireworks are predicted for Ireland.

However, the final fixture list for 2011 is not likely to be announced until September, almost two months after the usual date, which coincides with the Galway summer festival.

The Association of Irish Racecourses believes there could be a reduction of up to seven meetings from the 2010 total of 345, which in turn was seven down on 2009.

The AIR chief executive, Paddy Walsh, said yesterday details of next year’s major festivals and principal races are likely to be released later this month but uncertainty over funding means there will be a delay over final arrangements.

“The bulk of the work on fixtures is completed but our understanding is that Horse Racing Ireland will wait until early September before releasing everything. Everyone wants more time to see how certain issues unfold, including funding.

“Funding is very serious for everyone. Clearly it is important to know how much money there is to spend. The biggest problem is a lack of clarity. Once we know where we stand, be it good or bad, it makes things a lot easier,” Walsh said.

Initial hopes that legislation taxing telephone and internet betting would be in place before the Dáil’s summer recess were disappointed and there have been fears expressed by Fine Gael it might not be in place until next year.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen pledged to bring telephone and internet betting into the tax net in May, a move widely welcomed within the racing industry. Bookmakers, however, were less enthusiastic, pointing to the need for an equitable playing field between firms based overseas and those located in Ireland. They have been anxiously awaiting details of the forthcoming legislation ever since.