Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sympathetic to the amendments proposed by Senator Craughwell. There is a need for warnings to be issued because of the danger of addiction where betting and gambling are concerned. I share Senator Darragh O'Brien's concerns in regard to the gambling control Bill. I would have thought we would have had it by now but I have been told we will have it by the end of the year. I hoped we would have had it early in this term.

There are a number of anomalies in the system where betting is concerned. I am probably boring people mentioning them because I have done so on several occasions. One must be over 18 years of age to buy a lottery ticket and to go into a bookmakers shop yet we have a State-sponsored tote where children, making their first holy communion, are brought to the dog track where they queue up to bet. I have seen that happen and people who are addicted to gambling have told me they are addicted because of their early introduction to gambling, especially at dog tracks and racetracks where the tote is concerned. That is an anomaly in the system. In opposition, I tabled a Private Members' Bill to address it, but it was not addressed. I have been told this Betting (Amendment) Bill is not the legislation in which it can be addressed, so I hope it will be addressed in the gambling control Bill. I also hope that when this Bill is passed and when we move on to the gambling control Bill, people will not say we should have done this when dealing with the Betting (Amendment) Bill. There is a need for somebody to address this anomaly where children can bet on the tote.

The greyhound industry and the horse racing industry would be up in arms if they thought children would be prevented from betting. I know of the lobbying the last time with people asking what this fellow was on about trying to prevent children placing a couple of bob on the tote. That is the type of lobbying done by the industry and the sooner we stand up to it, the better. If the Minister of State says it is a matter for the gambling control Bill, I hope people will not say that it should have been dealt with in the Betting (Amendment) Bill. I need that clarified.

I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien in regard to a number of points he made. There are poker machines and roulette wheels in bookie shops. As far as I am concerned, Revenue should be removing them. They are illegal and Revenue is turning a blind eye. If we did not pay a few pence in tax, Revenue would be down on our backs but it is not going into these bookmaker shops and tearing out these machines, which it should be doing. This is under the radar and people are prepared to let it be and ask what harm are they doing. It is doing a hell of a lot of harm and the matter needs to be addressed.