Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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364. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if a national gambling impact study has ever been carried out and his plans to carry out one soon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28659/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that, to date, my Department has not commissioned nor has it carried out a national gambling impact study. However, I am aware that, for the purposes of developing appropriate policy responses, there is a need for data of both a quantitative and qualitative nature on the extent of gambling in Ireland and its impacts.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department is currently preparing legislative proposals on gambling. The new legislation will be comprehensive and extensive. I hope to obtain the Government's approval soon for the drafting of a Bill based on a General Scheme I have submitted. The new legislation will have consumer protection generally as its main aim, and will include several measures aimed at assisting and protecting vulnerable persons, the young and those for whom gambling has become a problem.

I will be expecting the gambling industry to embrace this central aim and to work with the authorities and on their own initiative to promote responsible gambling. My proposals will facilitate the industry's involvement by providing for a Fund to aid research, education and awareness activities and to support treatment programmes. The Fund will be based on contributions from the industry but my proposals will ensure independent supervision of its disbursement.

In light of its purposes, I would expect that, in time, the Fund will be used to undertake studies of the kind referred to by the Deputy. However, pending the establishment of that statutory fund, my Department is actively considering how the data I mentioned earlier can be collected so that work on the development of suitable policies can get under way in advance of the new legislation coming into operation.