Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last night I was not convinced by the Minister's argument and I am still not convinced today, and I am sorry to say that. The Bill contains a number of provisions that will affect highly effective charity fundraising for deserving causes around Ireland, via radio bingo games on local radio. These games, which raise significant and much needed funds for charities, involve the distribution of bingo books in local areas and are advertised on local radio during the day, along with the winning bingo numbers being broadcast. They are well supported by listeners, not just in County Kerry but on local radio throughout the country.

For example, Radio Kerry to date has raised more than €330,000 for four Kerry cancer charities: the Kerry Hospice Foundation, Recovery Haven, Comfort for Chemo Kerry and the Cork-Kerry cancer bus. Every family in County Kerry has been positively affected by the cancer bus and Radio Kerry is directly responsible for a lot of the fundraising that goes into it. All proceeds from the games go directly to the charities. For example, Radio Kerry does not charge for advertising time as it considers that is it putting its shoulders to the wheel to help these causes. The loss of this generous income from the people of Kerry would have significant implications for the four charities I have mentioned.

The proposed restrictions on games in the Bill are negative and will create unintended consequences that have been missed. There are a number of ways in which the effectiveness of these fundraising games would be severely affected by the new legislation. There would be a ban on radio advertising before 9 p.m., meaning that no advertising could take place during the key daytime period of radio listenership. That is an important point. This would damage the viability of charity fundraising endeavours as fewer people would be informed of the games and where to buy bingo books. This time approach is inequitable for radio compared to TV. A one-for-all-size approach does not work in broadcasting, as radio and TV have different prime time audience periods. That is an important point.

The proposal to exempt charity fundraising up to a prize value limit of €10,000 from the ban is insufficient and unworkable. This is because bingo games with a prize value of that level cannot often roll over to a second week, meaning that the prize value would be well in excess of the €10,000 limit and, therefore, the games could not be advertised. Some bingo game licences have a value of €30,000. The best approach is to exempt charity fundraising games entirely.

It is vital that charity bingo games advertised on radio are exempted entirely from the legislation so that the fundraising that radio stations support can continue. I support the exemption of advertising for charity fundraising promoted on radio from the Bill. I ask that the Minister of State supports this and not talk about changing it afterwards because, quite simply, now is the time to act.

With regard to the GAA and other types of fundraising, we know small clubs the length and breadth of the country which are in receipt of lottery and sports capital grant funding always have shortfalls and local fundraising has to happen. A good friend and colleague of ours, Derry Healy, from Headfort, Barraduff, was involved with a group of people which came up the idea of raffling a house. That was a fairly ambitious operation, but the group did it. Like everything in life, there are always copycats. Other people copied the idea and went along with the same model. Derry Healy's group did first and did it excellently. Would that group, as well as all of the other people like him the length and breadth of the country, be able to do that following the passage of this legislation? I think they would be put in grave jeopardy because people would look at the value of the prize at the end of the day. Sometimes, the bigger the prize the bigger the audience and money that goes into charity fundraising.

It is bizarre that the national lottery is completely exempt. I am not attacking it for one minute. It is great. It is something people look forward to, and more power to it. People spend what they can afford to and there is the lure of the massive windfall prizes. We all know the bigger the lotto, the more revenue goes into it, in particular over the past couple of days. There is nothing wrong with that because an awful lot of the money raised from the national lottery goes towards very good works and is put to really good use. It is amazing that there seems to be one rule for one and another rule for another.

I ask the Minister to think of all these small clubs, whether hurling, football or other sports, and the bingo on the radio that people cherish and adore. One of the most important things in the week for my late mother was trips to bingo, as well as the bingo on Radio Kerry and listening to the numbers being drawn. It is a source of enjoyment and sport. It also ensures that we pool our resources for good charitable purposes.

I am sure the Minister of State, like me, would hate to think that something he has done would adversely affect that. I know that is not his intention. I have said that there are unintended consequences. Sometimes one action leads to a reaction in a way that we might not have thought through. This is a typical example. I thank those who have already raised this issue. I want to raise this issue on behalf of Radio Kerry and all of our clubs in County Kerry, and put forward the best case to the Minister. I plead with him to do the right thing.

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