Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to share my time with Senator Malcolm Byrne. I will take six minutes and he will take two. I thank the Minister of State for being here and for giving us his update. This is a really important debate. Any addiction is difficult and tough. Addictions often have very far-reaching consequences for individuals and for their families and friends. Families are often torn apart, trust is broken and finances are impacted. Obviously, it not only the addicted individual who is impacted but also his or her family and friends. The good news is that many addicts have been able to turn their lives around and begin lives of recovery with the necessary supports. That is where we come in. Recovery is hard for any addict but regret is harder still.I say that having spoken to several of my friends who, unfortunately, have suffered with addiction.

Drugs and alcohol have a physical manifestation and, as such, others become aware of the issue and can help, intervene, encourage and support. However, gambling is different. It is a silent addiction; a serious problem that can silently destroy lives. Sometimes loved ones do not know about the problem until the bank manager comes calling, a person loses his or her job or members of the Garda come to the door.

Some of the statistics are stark and frightening. Ireland has the seventh biggest gambling spend in the world, while 75% of Irish people know a person who they know to be a gambler. A website for gambling addicts that I looked at this morning states that traffic to the site has increased by 46% since the pandemic started. Many of those who traditionally bet on sport have moved on to online poker and casinos. What I found particularly frightening is that 7.6% of teenage boys and 2.8% of teenage girls have developed a gambling problem. As all present are aware, it generally begins with a few small bets at the weekend or at an event such as the Punchestown Festival, which is coming up next week and which we in County Kildare always look forward to for a bit of a flutter. However, the problem gradually worsens over time, with the ever-present lure of the one bet that could be life-changing. I do not get to see many soaps on television but I happened to see an episode of "Emmerdale" recently. It really depicted this problem very well. The character says this bet will be the one that will work for him, he will have all the money he needs and it will change his life. Those who develop gambling problems may show no signs of them until their families become aware of missing mortgage repayments, maxed-out credit cards, money owed to moneylenders or stealing from employers. Apparently, approximately one in five of those with gambling problems attempt to steal from employers.

As the Minister of State is aware, Fianna Fáil has a long-standing commitment to implementing regulations for socially responsible gambling. He is bringing that commitment to reality and I thank him for that. He is setting out clear regulations to prevent the sector doing more harm. We absolutely need effective regulation of the industry to give those in the sector certainty through socially responsible gambling. The Minister of State referred to a gambling regulator being essential to oversee a rapidly evolving sector. That is absolutely the case. The regulator should cover the industry, issue fines, conduct research and operate a social fund funded by the industry to help individuals who are suffering from gambling addiction. It was certainly welcome that when the Government put together the programme for Government there was a clear commitment to establish a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being, covering gambling online and in person, and with the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps. A modern and effectively regulated gambling environment must provide enhanced consumer protection for players while limiting to the greatest extent possible the harmful effects on young people and those who may be susceptible to addiction.

No matter how far gone a person has gone on the road to addiction, there is always an inner voice telling that person to find relief by changing their habits. None of us were born to be enslaved by drugs, alcohol or gambling. As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure there is a commitment to socially responsible gambling. Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you. We all have the power to change things in our lives, be that overcoming addictions or whatever else comes across our path. What the Minister of State has outlined is very significant and important in terms of helping people not to go down that road or helping those who have gone down it to overcome their addictions. I wish him well with the implementation. I will hand over to Senator Malcolm Byrne.