Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I am glad to hear that because the Senator has not done so thus far. We should deal with the issue in the strongest possible terms. Clearly the Government has a view on the matter given that it commissioned an interdepartmental report which produced stark findings. The Bill offers us an opportunity to implement one such finding.

At a recent meeting of the Committee on Procedures and Privileges I proposed that a sessional order be made to allow for three Private Members' Bills to be taken at any given time by any given group in the House. My sole purpose was to ensure that issues of this nature, which may not get a hearing in the other House due to time constraints and the argy-bargy of party politics, could be raised here. I hope the Seanad, with its long and proud tradition of taking initiatives such as this, addressing them in a serious manner and adopting a firm position, will move beyond Second Stage this evening and bring forward the Remaining Stages.

I welcome the Bill and ask the House to give it a Second Reading. We must address the only issue before us, namely, whether it is right that a child under the age of 18 years should be able to gamble an unlimited amount of money through the tote. This is the issue Senator Cummins has bravely and repeatedly raised on the Order of Business and the debate should focus on it to the exclusion of all other matters.