Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. We are not that far apart in what we are saying. There is a concern and the Minister for Finance and the Minister of State have acknowledged that they are cognisant of the issue. They are keeping an eye on the matter and carrying out a review, which is important. We do not want to have a small number of very large bookmaker chains constituting the whole market and lose that independent presence in the smaller towns in particular. There is a value here which is similar to the value of the on-trade versus the off-trade in alcohol. A great deal more policing and supervision takes place in the on-trade than the off-trade. It is similarly the case with bookmakers. Smaller shops in smaller areas can keep an eye on what is happening and perhaps advise people on inappropriate behaviour. While we all want to ensure that anyone who gambles does so responsibly, it is safer when it happens in a shop or retail environment than online. I ask the Minister of State to take my concerns on board and reflect on whether there is a better way to secure more revenue which avoids the unintended consequences of large-scale shop closures and driving business online where it is subject to less supervision.