Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 154: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the conclusions reached at the recent international conference on gambling which he attended; the action that will be taken to address the growing risks posed by on-line gambling; his views on whether the refusal of the US authorities to attend was damaging to the conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36334/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The International Remote Gambling Summit was held in Ascot on Tuesday 31 October 2006. I attended at the invitation of the host, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell, MP. The proceedings were chaired by the Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn, Minister of State for Sport. In excess of thirty States participated in the Summit.

The main purpose of the Summit was to have an open and high-level political discussion about the future direction Governments should take in regard to remote gambling and to seek agreement on a draft Communiqué. While this Communiqué had not been agreed at the end of the Conference, and is still being worked on, it seeks a commitment from participants that in enacting legislation or regulations in relation to remote gambling the principal and over-riding priorities will be:

The responsible conduct of remote gambling with appropriate safeguards to protect children and vulnerable people;

The regulation of remote gambling in accordance with generally accepted international standards to prevent fraud, money laundering and other crime;

That remote gambling, where offered, should be verifiably fair to the consumer.

The draft Communiqué accepts that each jurisdiction may choose to address these priorities differently and, within the scope of international law and trade agreements, may choose to control gambling within its borders in a way that is appropriate to its national regulatory approach and particular circumstances.

In addition, the draft Communiqué seeks to identify areas for greater international cooperation including effective measures to protect children and vulnerable people, sharing research and expertise on remote gambling as well as methods of preventing problems, promoting public awareness of responsible gambling and developing effective licensing regimes.

As the Deputy is aware, I have established an inter-departmental committee chaired by Mr. Michael McGrath BL to report on the possibilities for a legislative basis for the strict regulation of casino-style operations in the State, the composition of a Casino Regulation Commission and related matters. The Casino Committee has also been asked to consider the issue of remote gambling. I expect to receive the Casino Committee's report in the near future. I attended the Summit, without prejudice to the work of that Committee, because I am aware of the issues surrounding remote gambling and wished to hear the views of other States on this important topic. The Deputy will understand that, having established a committee to consider these complex issues, I do not propose to comment on future policy in advance of receiving and considering the report of the Casino Committee.

I cannot comment on the non-participants at the Summit as I did not organise the event and I do not know what other States were invited. I found the Summit extremely useful and informative and I commend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell, MP, for her initiative in organising such an opportune and well-timed political discussion.