Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am in complete agreement with Senators Craughwell and Darragh O'Brien on these issues. To be fair, when the Leader was Opposition spokesperson on justice, he prepared some very good Private Members' legislation in this area. This is a step in the right direction. I have no doubt about the commitment of the Minister of State in this regard because he knows only too well that lives are being destroyed.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality held significant consultations with various stakeholders on gambling. I made some very interesting observations during that process. If one looks at traditional betting shops, it is a way of controlling and making it a little more difficult for people who, unfortunately, find themselves addicted to gambling. It is certainly a stumbling block. If horses are non-runners, what happens to that money? We need a system like the deposits system where banks traditionally would hold on to deposits which were transferred into a fund that is used for good causes. I will not delay.