Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister in respect of the particular sentiment on the part of the majority of members of the public. I am not suggesting that I wish to do so but if I wanted to do so, I could not go to my local bookmakers shop to place a bet on a football game taking place on Good Friday. However, I could go to the casino in the town in which I live and play blackjack, roulette, slot machines, etc., until 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. I wish to highlight the contradiction between the position relating to casinos and that in respect of the regulated industry, which operates between the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. but which is not allowed to operate on Good Friday.