Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This issue must be teased out. In the context of controls relating to those under 18 years of age, there are very few people under that age who, despite whatever parental locks are in place, cannot navigate the various functions of a television remote control. In most cases, it is children who tell their parents how to operate such controls.

I am concerned with regard to gambling and, as a result, I visited the office of the National Lottery Company a year or two ago and met the chief executive. The National Lottery Company is already offering Internet gambling services with the permission of the Department of Finance. Customers are obliged to open accounts and provide a copy of their passports and proof of age. It will probably be a surprise to some people but Internet national lottery sales have been available for the past number of years. By the time I met the chief executive, the National Lottery Company had 7,000 online accounts. In fairness, it had great mechanisms in place. For example, there is a limit on the amount a person can obtain, he or she cannot open second or third accounts because of the need to provide his or her PPS number and he or she is limited with regard to the amount he or she can spend each month. The latter means that people cannot lose the run of themselves. I would like the relevant protocols to be put in place in respect of television gambling.

The Minister referred to prize funds, moneys for good causes and margins for retailers. We want all of these to be protected. A lottery is an attractive business for retailers, particularly as it attracts people into their shops. There is a particular example relating to the retail trade which I wish to offer in this regard. A few years ago, retailers used to obtain a margin of a few percent. However, all of the major mobile phone companies have really reduced that margin in the past year or two in order to squeeze more profits out of retailers. We must include in the Bill a mechanism to prevent the operator of the national lottery from - as is the case in the commercial market - squeezing retailers in the future. What is involved in this regard is a commercial transaction and there is no doubt that the operator will go down this route.

I wish to comment now on the specifics of the legislation. A new lottery regulator is to be established under section 7. In other words, we are setting up a new quango. I had thought we were moving away from doing this. The Minister will state that it is necessary, that there is no other way to proceed and that this is how we operate at present. There must be a way to deal with this matter without establishing a new quango.

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