Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Gambling Regulation Bill which will establish the gambling regulatory authority of Ireland. The regulator will have the authority to implement regulations regarding gambling, while also being able to levy fees on gambling companies that breach the new rules. This is a positive step forward.

I campaigned for this alongside my party colleagues for a number of years outside Government and I am thrilled to see it now happening. Laws surrounding gambling in this country have not been updated, by and large, for over 70 years. The online space has changed how gambling companies operate. This can have a detrimental effect on those who are vulnerable to gambling. These new laws will ensure there are appropriate safeguards and measures put in place to protect people from gambling in terms of banning inducements and gambling on credit cards.

Many people across Ireland gamble safely within their means and enjoy it, but there are people who become problem gamblers and this can have a heavy impact on them and their families. This legislation will put in place consumer protection measures in order to reduce gambling.

I want to highlight an important impact of gambling. Where people get involved in gambling and it leads to the loss of their home or job, it is difficult to start again or pick themselves up again. While there are supports available, one issue that has come up recently is accessing a mortgage or loan. Some people have made amends and put that life behind them. To see them refused a chance - blacklisted - is heart-breaking. We need to address this issue to enable such people to participate again in a healthy society. The issue has arisen in my clinics. Only recently, a young lady who started gambling very young went and got the supports she needed, and her family were supportive. She cleared her debts and got a good job. She is now in a position to get a mortgage but she cannot get a mortgage or a loan because she is blacklisted. We must always be mindful of people who have now turned a corner. We do not them to be blacklisted through no fault of their own but probably due to regulations. We need to ensure they get the support they need. I ask the Minister of State to consider this issue because it needs to be addressed.

I note that the Gambling Regulation Bill paves the way for the establishment of a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being. The reason I say that is that his is about well-being. There is much more to be done on this. I welcome the Bill and ask that the issue I raise be addressed.

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