Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The reason the report is not being published is because Deputy Rabbitte issued a statement which suggested that the Labour Party would not participate in any all-party committee on this matter. I am very anxious to publish the report and we should be able to secure all-party agreement on the consideration of a report. The reason I advocated an all-party approach to this issue is that previous experience in this House suggests that it is one of those issues that cuts across party lines.

Deputy Rabbitte returned to the question of bookmakers. I have been exceptionally careful on this particular issue with regard to people to whom I have spoken. I am extremely conscious of the fact that strong views are held on all sides of this particular issue. Since taking up office, I have been scrupulous in not holding discussions with any of the interest groups advocating a change in the law in the area of gaming and lotteries. I have had no meetings with any group involved in this particular area. My main objective is to arrive at a code which recognises the fact that adults gamble and that for some it is an enjoyable past-time, but equally that addiction to gambling has the potential to ruin lives. I accept all those propositions, but the current position outlined in the report is that this is an area where parts of the law are unworkable. I reiterate that the Government has no view on the report because it is anxious to see whether an all-party approach could generate a consensus in this area.

The report specifically recommends against the fixed odds betting terminals, the slot machines to which Deputy Rabbitte referred. These machines have been introduced in the UK and have resulted in a grave increase in gambling addiction. The report specifically recommends against that.

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