Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he plans to amend the Gaming and Lottery Act 1956 in view of the growing social gaming industry here; this industry operates on a global scale and operations here should have a solid legal framework to work within; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56644/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will recall my announcement in September 2011 that the Government had approved my proposals for new legislation on the regulation of gambling. I brought forward those proposals because I recognised that the current law had not kept pace with technological innovation. I also saw the opportunity to improve our prospects of benefiting from the investment opportunities associated with the development of, for example, on-line gambling operations. My Department has since then been preparing the Heads of a new Bill. I hope to be able to bring the Heads to Government in the near future for its approval and agreement to proceed to formal drafting. The new legislation will provide a comprehensive new regulatory system for gambling, replacing the separate systems still in place for betting and gaming under the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, as amended. It will, therefore, be a unified system and it will set out the new licensing, inspection and enforcement systems. The systems will apply to the land-based outlets that most people are familiar with, but they will also apply to on-line services and to services provided any other form of electronic technology. I have ensured that the new systems have been designed with the protection of consumers as their main purpose, particularly vulnerable persons, including, of course, young persons. I plan to make the Heads available on my Department's website once they have been approved by the Government. At that stage it will become clear that the new legislation will provide the solid framework the Deputy refers to.