Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment and thank Deputies Jack Chambers and O'Callaghan and the Fianna Fáil Party for bringing a very sensible and well-thought out Bill before this House. We are seeing a great change in the way gambling is carried out in our culture and society. Many years ago when we were discussing gambling I mentioned the structure of gambling, professional bookies and a very close friend of mine, Timmy O'Leary, who has since retired from owning a bookie's shop. He was steeped in the tradition of being a good bookie, a person who took money from people when he knew they had it and did not allow people to give away or gamble money they did not have.

With the advent of the smartphone people sitting in their houses late at night might be watching two horses with only six legs between them in some part of Texas at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. on Sky or another channel might decide it is a good idea to bet money they do not have on this device. That is crazy beyond belief. The way people gambled before now was a fine respectable thing, going into an individual bookie, or even to a bigger bookie when the large conglomerates came along, because at least it was regulated. The person behind the till could see the person and was dealing with a customer. It has gone crazy now. There has to be more regulation and protection of families. It is bad enough to do something that is not good for oneself but a family person hurts their family as well and takes money that is needed to run the house and keep the family going. That is awful. Anything we can do as legislators to protect against that we should be seen to do.

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