Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I know how committed he is to this topic. When he was a member of the Opposition he spoke on this a lot and I know he has put in a lot of work on it since becoming a Minister of State.

This is an important debate and any addiction is difficult and tough. Addictions often have far-reaching consequences for individuals and their families and friends. Families are often torn apart, trust is broken and finances are affected. Recovery is hard for any addict but regret is harder still. We must do what we can to ensure people do not go down this road. 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 and it is a silent addiction. It is a serious problem that can silently destroy lives. I mention Richie Power, the Kilkenny hurling wizard who had the game at his feet. Little did any spectator know the complete turmoil he was experiencing. He spoke about a gambling addiction being a bit like carbon monoxide poisoning in that one cannot see, smell or taste it but there it is, gnawing away in the background, leaving lives in ruins, with no way back in many cases. When we think about an addict who is losing money, sometimes loved ones do not know about the problem until the bank manager comes calling or a person loses his or her job, sees the mortgage has not been paid, sees the credit card is maxed out or sees that money is owed to moneylenders. In many cases people have been stealing from employees. It is said that one in five gambling addicts does so and then the Garda comes to the door.

Some of the statistics are stark and frightening. Ireland, as has been mentioned already, has the seventh biggest gambling spend in the world while 75% of Irish people know a person who they know to be a gambler. This took on a particular significance during Covid. At one point I checked the visits to a particular site and they had increased by 66%. When it comes to young boys and girls, 7.6% of teenage boys and 2.8% of teenage girls developed a gambling problem during Covid, which is shocking. We all know the stories about people waiting for that big win and trying to get something that would change their lives. As the Minister of State knows, Fianna Fáil has a long-standing commitment to implement regulations for socially responsible gambling, which is very important.

While I support the principle of this Bill and congratulate my Labour Party colleagues on bringing it forward, I look forward to when we have the Government’s gambling regulation Bill published and seeing its progress through the Oireachtas. None of us was born to be enslaved by drugs, alcohol or gambling, and as legislators we have a responsibility to ensure there is a commitment to socially responsible gambling.