Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

I reiterate my support for my colleague Senator Crowe regarding cocaine addiction. It is something I know a lot about from my work with Tiglin. I raise another concern regarding addiction, namely, the shocking rise of youth gambling in Ireland.

I was recently interviewed by RTÉ about a European report that revealed that more than 29% of young people in Ireland from the age of 15 to 16 have gambled many times in the past year. That is the highest rate in Europe, at almost one in every three of our teenagers. Children are being targeted, not as we were when we were younger, perhaps with a bookmaker's on the corner of the street, but with algorithms and advertising that is embedded in online apps, games and social media.

We were all horrified by cigarette and alcohol advertising aimed at young people, so now we must ask why gambling apps are still allowed to target young people. Working in Tiglin, I have seen at first hand how gambling can silently destroy lives. It starts off as a bit of fun but it is addictive, isolating and destructive for many families. It does start young, but fantastic initiatives like "It Takes a Village" in Greystones target this..

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 was supposed to change this landscape but months later, we are still waiting for its enactment. It is not a fringe issue; it is an issue affecting young people, who are tomorrow's adults.Early exposure to gambling is already contributing to debt and anxiety, and family support is very necessary in this area. I call on the Leader of the House to arrange a debate in the House on the urgency of enforcing the gambling regulation, which has already been suggested, and embedding such prevention into the education in our schools. If we can protect children, as we have done with regard to cigarettes and alcohol, we can and must do the same when it comes to gambling.