Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to amendment No. 148. It was a recommendation by the joint committee in its pre-legislative report. I know the Minister has given a rationale about how financial harm is not content, which is required to be regulated under the audiovisual media services directive. We accept that Ireland is in the process of finally establishing a gambling regulator. If this amendment is not accepted by the Minister, which presumably it will not be given her previous response, we can put in an amendment on Report Stage or later in the other Chamber calling for a relationship to be established in legislation between the media commission and the new gambling regulator. Harmful gambling is a major problem in this country and online gambling has seen the problem explode and has made it much more secretive in nature and easier to hide. Online gambling and the advertising of gambling on social media sites is an issue of concern, particularly when we consider isolation, the constant availability and hidden nature of online gambling. It is clear that the media commission has a role to play in addressing this and this is the rationale for amendment No. 148.