Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding gambling controls. [54673/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The correspondence referred to by the Deputy raises two matters. First, it alleges breaches of the criminal law in a foreign jurisdiction. As the Deputy will understand, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the allegation.

The second matter, however, is one I am addressing by way of new legislation, namely the regulation of gambling, including remote gambling.

The correspondence refers to that new legislation. The Gambling Control Bill will update all existing laws on the regulation of betting and gaming (other than the National Lottery). The Government approved the General Scheme in July this year. The Scheme has also been considered by the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality and the Committee's Report has been published.

The Bill will confer all responsibility for all regulatory matters on the Minister for Justice and Equality. The Minister's functions will include licensing, inspections, prosecutions and they will be carried out by a body located within my Department. There will be a dedicated inspectorate to ensure compliance by licence holders with the terms of their licence and with the new legislation generally.

The Bill will facilitate cooperation between our authorities and their counterparts abroad, thereby making it very difficult for those operators trying to avoid detection and follow-up actions.

I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity to upgrade our out-dated systems and to reflect best practice, including in matters of governance. My aim is to give all consumers a high level of protection but I will be paying close attention, in particular, to measures to protect the vulnerable, including the young. I believe that robust systems will also attract reputable companies and I would expect to see some of them locate some or all of their back-room operations here.

I hope to publish the Bill next autumn.