RACING: After a meeting between the bookmakers and Horse Racing Ireland that was described as "tough but constructive" a solution to the impasse over an increased levy on turnover looks on the cards.

Although neither side was prepared to disclose details after talks that lasted almost three hours yesterday, a proposal to solve the issue will be put before the HRI board at their meeting on Monday.

HRI plans to increase the levy on on-course bookmakers from 0.3 per cent to one per cent of turnover in order to finance racecourse improvements were originally supposed to come into force on New Year's Day.

However, the proposal has met with vehement opposition from the Irish National Bookmakers Association who resumed talks with HRI yesterday after last week's postponement.

Last night the INBA chairman Francis Hyland emerged from those talks and said: "I don't want to pre-empt anything and I don't want to give details but a proposal will be put to the HRI board on Monday. It was a long meeting, tough but constructive. I'm not at liberty to say anymore."

HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh echoed those comments and confirmed the board meeting will be on Monday.