Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As one of a trio of Senators, including Senators Wall and Cassells, who raised this matter and called for this legislation day after day in the Seanad on the Order of Business and so on, I congratulate the Minister of State on introducing this legislation in its totality and for his steadfastness in the face of very wealthy and powerful vested interests. It is to his eternal credit that we have this legislation and have got to this point without giving way to those vested interests in the process. Of course, nothing is perfect. In this regard, I agree with Senator Wall's latter point in that I, too, would like a watershed later than 9 p.m.

Much has been achieved. It is important that we have the gambling regulator and the watershed, and it is also important that we protect our young people, including against all that goes with free betting. The gambling regulator will do a lot of that.

I was unable to hear Senator McDowell's exposition on his amendment. Like Senator Ward, I take Senator McDowell's point on local government. In the latter part of his contribution, which I did hear, he referred to the progressive diminution of powers and the centralisation of power within local executives and at national government level to the detriment of local democracy. The Senator made that point well and I agree with him. Senator Ward made the point, too.

Like Senator Ward, I will be interested in hearing the Minister's response. My primary concern is that we get this right for potential victims, of whom there are so many. We do not need to go back to a Second Stage speech. We are in this room tonight because we are serious about this matter and have painfully gained knowledge of the need for the legislation and how pernicious gambling addiction is. We know the people who have been ruined in our communities and families who have suffered so much. There is good attendance here, by average standards. Every one of us is here because we regard this matter as serious.

I am interested in knowing whether the Minister of State believes Senator McDowell's amendment would achieve the objectives of the Bill. That, in essence, has to be the ultimate consideration. Accepting that there is a diminution of local government powers, we must err on the side of effectiveness in this instance. I await with interest the Minister of State's response. In this instance, our objective must be none other than to ensure that we protect as many as possible from the affliction that is gambling and save potential victims. I am aware that the legislation refers to the social fund and such measures to deal with victims, including recovering victims. These will be referred to in later contributions.

I congratulate the Minister of State unequivocally on holding firm on this, with no nonsense. We held the line. For years, this was not done. It is good that it was. I am proud as a Government Senator that we are achieving our objective, but we will not have done so until we pass the legislation.

I accept the basic premise of Senator McDowell's amendment on the diminution of local government powers, but I want to hear the analysis of the Minister of State and his advisers as to what will comprise the best way to protect our people from the affliction that is gambling.