Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gambling addiction - I stress the word "addiction", not just regular gambling - has become a silent blight on modern Ireland. I do not think there is a town in the country that has not been adversely affected by this awful habit. That is a fact. However, the Government continues to stand idly by and allow this epidemic to spiral out of control. This is despite a Fianna Fáil options paper being published as far back as 2010. Instead of considering this paper, the Minister has opted to redraft the Bill which essentially will negate years of work that could just as easily be amended and agreed to. All the while, families are being destroyed as a result of gambling addiction. The figures are stark to the point of being frightening. There are towns and villages in west Cork that are devoid of a post office, a Garda station and other facilities. However, one can be sure there are facilities available for gambling. It has become all too easy and accessible. A sum of €5 billion was gambled in Ireland in 2016. Some 40,000 people in Ireland are recognised as gambling addicts, of whom 800 have sought help for their addiction. What about the others?

Further procrastination at this juncture is reckless. If we are to have any chance of reducing these figures, we have to act now. With online gambling having burst onto the scene in recent years, it is imperative that there be a system in place to curb the effects of the convenience of engaging in this form of gambling. We need to be in a position and have a system in place to help the people affected and their families. Behind every addict lie a family. Levies derived from the gambling industry need to be ring-fenced to pay for this. In short, we need regulation now. We acknowledge that the Government has agreed to the introduction of a gambling regulator, but it needs to be expedited.

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