Written answers

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Department of Justice and Equality

Gambling Legislation

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if, following the Taoiseach's commitment on 14 December 2016 that he would make the gambling control Bill a priority, she will confirm that her Department has been provided sufficient resources to complete the task of writing the Bill; the progress of the Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11466/17]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has identified the individual pressing areas of concern regarding gambling legislation that she plans to address by way of separate legislative matters ahead of the gambling control Bill, as raised in Dáil Éireann on 16 December 2016; if so, if she will highlight such areas; and the effect this will have on the ultimate progression of the Gambling Control Bill. [11467/17]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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110. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason she intends on prioritising certain areas of gambling legislation by way of separate legislative matters in Q1 2017, ahead of the full gambling control Bill, particularly if she plans to bring forward the main gambling control Bill for Government approval and publication later in 2017. [11468/17]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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111. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that the gambling control Bill will be published in 2017, in line with commitments made by her in Dáil Éireann on 24 January 2017 that it would be brought forward for Government approval and publication in 2017; and the specific measures she envisages as hindering its final drafting. [11469/17]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 to 111, inclusive, together.

As I have previously conveyed to the House, it remains the intention to proceed with gambling legislation at the earliest opportunity including under the powers of the Minister for Justice and Equality under the gaming and lotteries legislation which have been delegated to me as Minister of State. The preparation of a Gambling Control Bill, and of a number of related early measures for inclusion in the General Scheme of the forthcoming Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, continues on that basis. I intend to move forward as quickly as possible with the appropriate measures on both of these fronts. In that endeavour, I am being assisted by the staff of the Department of Justice and Equality who have been previously assigned to support me in this work in both the Gambling Policy and Civil Law Reform areas. Against that background I am not aware of any issues that are, as the Deputy has put it, hindering final drafting of the legislation concerned. I can also confirm that it remains my intention to bring forward the main Gambling Control Bill for government approval and publication, as the Deputy has anticipated, later this year.

Work on the preparation of the General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is at an advanced stage in my Department. The General Scheme for this Bill will contain a range of provisions, many of them technical in nature, that are expected to relate to such matters as electronic courts services and some early amendments, as previously signalled, to gaming legislation. In that regard, we expect to bring forward a number of useful modernisation and clarification measures to the outdated Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. In particular, it is hoped to address issues concerning minimum age for gambling activities, realistic stake and prize amounts and a clearer setting out of the circumstances for the conduct of certain activities. It is anticipated that the General Scheme of the miscellaneous Bill will be brought to Government by the Tánaiste this month for approval both to publish it and to submit it for pre-legislative scrutiny and for detailed drafting to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

In parallel to these imminent measures, work also continues in bringing forward the main Gambling Control Bill building on the General Scheme that was published in 2013. Deputies should be cognisant that the preparation of legislation providing for the regulation of a large, multi-million euro economic activity, with significant cross-border and electronic on-line operations, will be a major and complex undertaking.

In support of this work, I published, on 23 February 2017, a study by University College Dublin under Dr. Crystal Fulton which I had commissioned at the end of 2016. The aims of the study, entitled "Developments in the Gambling Area - Emerging trends and issues supporting the development of policy and legislation in Ireland", were to identify developments in the area of gambling, inclusive of all aspects of gambling such as technological innovation and international legislation, and, to identify new or emerging legislative and policy issues in the area of gambling not currently represented in the original General Scheme and which may need to be addressed in new legislation. The study can be accessed through the internet link .

Along with officials of my Department, I am continuing to consult with relevant stake-holders. We are particularly mindful to hear from those who work with persons for whom gambling has become a problem. In that spirit, I look forward to discussing quite soon, with the Deputy and other Members, the gambling measures that will be contained in the General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and, after that, to discussing the main Gambling Control Bill when it, in turn, is approved by Government for publication.

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