Minister of State at the Department of Justice (Deputy James Browne): I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to have the opportunity to present the Gambling Regulation Bill to the House. I know there is significant support to progressing this landmark legislation and I look forward to hearing Members' contributions. Today is a true milestone for this long-awaited Bill. This is important and necessary legislation and reform designed to meet the challenges of gambling responsibly in 21st-century Ireland.

The advent of the Internet has wrought considerable and rapid changes to gambling activity, with more ease of access to gambling than we could ever have thought possible. Everyone, including children, can now carry a mobile casino on the phone in their back pockets. It is, therefore, vital for all concerned, both the individuals who partake in gambling and the companies which provide such activities and services, to have a robust regulatory framework with public safety as a cornerstone. The Bill takes a responsible approach to balancing the freedom to gamble with the safeguards to protect people from falling prey to addiction. It provides a clear framework for operators and consumers. Importantly, it is intended to help to protect children and prevent harm to people vulnerable to problem gambling.

The primary objective of the Bill is to present the framework for a robust regulatory and licensing regime for the gambling sector in Ireland. It provides for the establishment and statutory functions of a body to be known as údarás rialála cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the gambling regulatory authority of Ireland. The Bill aims to ensure gambling is conducted in a fair and open way for companies to make decisions with certainty. It will require safeguards to address problem gambling, including protecting children and addressing gambling advertising, and prevent gambling from being a source or support to crime. I am hopeful, with the support of both Houses, this Bill will be signed into law and enter into force by mid-2023, with the intention of establishing the authority later next year.

As part of the Government's commitment to establish a gambling regulator, in September this year, Ms Anne Marie Caulfield was appointed CEO-designate of the authority. Ms Caulfield is working closely with my Department to identify staffing and resourcing needs and to develop procedures for how the authority will function once it is operational. Ms Caulfield's ongoing preparatory work, in parallel with the passage of the Gambling Regulation Bill, will ensure the authority will be ready to hit the ground running once it is formally established. A phased commencement will be necessary in light of the scale and complexity of the transitional and operational arrangements for a new licensing and regulatory regime.

I am conscious that many people have strong views on the issue of gambling and Deputies will appreciate that there is a balance of interests and considerations in this legislation. The size of the gambling industry in Ireland is more than €6 billion annually, with an impact economically and for employment. Furthermore, gambling activity is an important fundraising activity for many of our charitable and local community organisations. l know many people occasionally gamble as a form of entertainment and for most people, it is nothing more than that. However, I am deeply cognisant of the fact that it has been shown that some of our population, in common with populations globally, are involved in gambling to a problematic degree. The side-effects bring poverty, worry and crime, as well as damage to families and personal relationships. The Health Research Board, HRB, in its report published earlier this year, has pointed to key trends in gambling prevalence in Ireland. The gambling industry is large, complex and technologically advanced. Furthermore, the necessity to counter illicit activities such as money laundering and terrorism must be paramount.

Given these factors, it is vital to establish an appropriately empowered regulatory body. This Bill seeks to provide safeguards to ensure a balance of appropriate regulation of operators and to protect against those who are vulnerable to problem gambling. It is important to highlight that the strategic approach of this Bill is that key regulatory controls are devolved to the most effective layer of authority. This level of subsidiarity will ensure an effective and empowered statutory body with ministerial, Government and Oireachtas oversight to an appropriate and proportionate degree. This will empower the authority to operate with agility with regard to licensing and regulation. This is critical in light of the scale, complexity and rapidity of developments in the gambling industry...

[For the full debate, click on this link to the Oireachtas site]