Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

We may as well cancel life if we take that approach. I grew up in Galway and one of the highlights of the year was to go to the Galway races with my parents, which we did faithfully every year. We had a few pennies in our pockets to lose or accumulate. Part of the fun was to back a horse without letting one's siblings know which it was until the horses came around the bend and she was either leading the way or in the shake-up.

One's excitement was such that one could not contain oneself and the family discovered which horse one had backed only at the last minute. I cannot imagine what it would have been like if I had to rely on one of my parents to place my bet, thereby losing my bit of independence and the little secret I kept until I wished to release it by way of a yelp or a roar.

That lives with me today as part of the enjoyment I had with my family at a race meeting. I would hate children to lose that opportunity. My nieces and nephews enjoy similar occasions with their parents, my brothers and sisters. It is one of the most enjoyable days out one can have. Many of our neighbours and friends had the same experience and none of us, and none of them, to my knowledge, has ended up in Gamblers Anonymous. While I respect Senator Cummins' opinion and his reasons for putting this Bill before us on a topic which needs to be debated it is not serious enough to require amending legislation.

As the Minister said, racing has been part of Irish culture and Irish life for centuries. We are hailed internationally as being the greatest horse lovers in the world. We probably have the most knowledgeable punters imaginable, as well as the best horses and jockeys. It would be a loss for a child, a teenager or an adult to miss out on enjoying that to the fullest extent.

The Minister also mentioned the economic value of the horse racing industry which employs 17,000 people full time and 18,000 part time while the greyhound industry employs 10,500 people full time and part time.