Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their contributions so far. I agree with Senator McDowell's remarks from earlier. It seems to be just encouraging gambling. Going from having no regulation to having some might be seen as an improvement, but if it does not restrict or put in place methods of restriction of gambling, then it will be problematic. It will be donkey's years before we get to the point of debating it again and having legislation.

When I was a young fellow, which is years ago now, we used hang around the pubs when there was no work and we would be playing a game of cards, drinking minerals or whatever. However, nowadays at home the bookies is the spot. There is tea and coffee in there, you can sit at tables and there is everything like that. The gambling is non-stop. There is nobody in the pubs during the day now but the bookies is jam-packed. That is a real problem because gambling addictions and gambling problems are far worse than alcohol or drugs at this stage. A person can gamble €10,000 in one afternoon in a bookies. That could destroy that person's life, that of his or her family, and that person could lose his or her house and everything like that, whereas with drink and drugs that takes much longer and there will be many more signs of a problem before that happens. It is a real problem. If this legislation does not address it, then it is something we will have to try to make right and address in some way.

There has been comment on the heads and so on but we have not seen the proposed legislation yet. Do our guests think the legislation as proposed can go far enough? Would they be willing or able to put forward possible suggestions for what needs to take place when the legislation is published so we can put them forward? It is going to be very important. Mr. Grant mentioned DNS blocking and so on. That is something that needs to be in this legislation as well because there is going to have to be a legislative background to it for it to be used. The Government will oppose it tooth and nail and it will never happen, but if it must be put forward, I will be quite happy to do that. Will our guests give us suggested amendments and similar that might be strong enough to make this legislation work?

On the figures, the document states the prevalence of problem gambling in Ireland is 0.3% of the population, or 12,000 adults. I think that has been way underestimated. There is a need to stop online gambling, and I am aware with banks and others, you are transferred to a betting app and it is not presented as being a transfer to a betting app but a transfer to an anonymous company or something like that. That is going to be a problem as well. I am wondering how much we can actually protect against any of this with legislation and what needs to be done to make this legislation workable as well.