Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I was interested in what the Minister said about the office of the regulator which he is establishing. It should be noted that the new national lottery regime will involve the creation of another public body or quango, whichever way he wishes to typify it. He can correct me if I am wrong but I understood him to say that he would envisage this regulator at some stage taking on a broader role in respect of the gambling industry. Will he expand on that? I have tabled amendments in respect of this office but I oppose the Bill wholesale and the introduction of this new regulatory function simply underlines the fact that the Minister is moving from the model we have had for the past 25 years into a privatised, for-profit, wholly commercial entity.

The Minister referenced the energy and transport markets. He knows as well as I do that the regulatory function arose in respect of those markets as they were deregulated and privatised across the European Union. This initiative is very much part of that trend. That is my opposing view. Can the Minister clarify how the scope of the responsibility of the office of the regulator will be expanded in respect of the gambling industry more generally? The Minister indicated something in that regard earlier.