Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many people enjoy the activity of gambling and do so responsibly but for some people and their families, gambling can become a very serious problem. Recent research by the Gambling Awareness Trust in conjunction with Maynooth University places the number of people in the South who engage in problem gambling at approximately 55,000. There is a need for greater action to help those at risk as when it comes to avoiding, and responding to, problem gambling only voluntary codes of practice exist. These were created by various sectors of the industry itself. I am, therefore, happy to support the passage of the Gambling Regulation Bill to Committee Stage.

Gambling laws in the State have not kept pace with the technological developments in the gambling industry. All while we have the highest online gambling losses per capitain the world and the third highest per capitalosses overall. A regulatory authority for the industry is badly needed and is, frankly, well overdue. Any regulator must have the teeth and resources to properly undertake its functions.

In the current system of self-regulation the Gambling Awareness Trust, which was established and funded by the gambling industry, distributes funding to various services and research initiatives of its choosing. While this, in fairness to the industry, is welcome in the face of prolonged Government inaction with regard to problem gambling, it is neither an efficient nor viable long-term solution. There is no proper funding for awareness campaigns nor supports or treatment for problem gamblers. I hope this is envisaged as part of the social impact fund contained in the Bill. This funding must be free from the industry's influence. There is also a need for a dedicated gambling prevalence survey along the lines of what is in the North, where we can compare the issue of problem gambling throughout the island and the effectiveness of the responses put in place.

I will take this opportunity to commend my party colleague and Sinn Féin spokesperson on addiction Deputy Gould, who recently initiated a Bill to ban the use credit cards for online gambling. Online gamblers are able to use credit cards, their own or someone else's, to continue to feed their habit when other funds have run out. Deputy Gould's Bill would be an additional and important tool in restricting the accessibility of gambling to problem gamblers and reduce their ability to rack up enormous debts. I encourage the Government to ensure the passage of the Bill is not held up. I am happy to support the Bill before us and move it to Committee Stage when we can ensure the regulator that comes into being has the tools and resources to help individuals and families affected by problem gambling.

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