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

Everyone around the country is concerned about betting and gambling, especially online gambling. Youngsters are betting online and there has to be some curbing of that. We have to legislate for that. There have to be some limits whereby people can only bet so much online. That has to be introduced. There is no call for tampering with the fundraising of clubs, charities, sports clubs, GAA clubs. What is being done here is volunteers are fundraising to try to keep their sporting groups going such as football clubs or whatever, or hurling clubs like Kilgarvan. It brings communities together when they are fundraising for a purpose. From all different creeds of religions and political beliefs, people come together to fundraise for their local club. We should not tamper with that. We should make sure that whatever Bill we bring forward here, we do not tamper with those vital things. We all know that GAA clubs are struggling, especially rural clubs in small places with small populations. It is one way of retaining their identity. It is sad to see places like Sneem and Caherdaniel. Sneem had a team of its own with John Egan but then the population went down and they had to join with Caherdaniel. They are even struggling now and will probably have to get some other club to join with them. We need to support these entities so that they retain their identity. It is very important that we do so and that we do not tamper with them with this Bill.

See this speech in context