TDs call for Gambling Regulation Bill to be recommitted in fiery debate in Dail Eireann

Several TDs have called for James Browne, the junior minister in the Department of Justice, to recommit the Gambling Regulation Bill to the committee stage after amendments were debated in parliament on Wednesday evening, with one independent parliamentarian castigating the minister for not listening to the concerns of the racing industry.

The bill, which legislates for a contentious watershed ban on gambling advertising between 5.30am and 9pm that has prompted both Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing to warn that such a stipulation would make it unviable for them to broadcast in Ireland, has been in the report stage since July 12. Final discussions were held prior to the legislation passing through the concluding stage in the Dail Eireann (lower house) before it passes through a similar process in the Seanad (upper house). It is then scheduled to be signed into law by the president.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath was particularly critical of the government for not heeding the concerns of many of those who will be affected by the provisions, including the racing industry.

"The government would not listen to the racing industry when it wanted to make reasonable amendments," McGrath said. 

Pearse Doherty, deputy leader of the main opposition party Sinn Fein, was vociferous on other unintended consequences of the bill relating to lotteries, demanding it be recommitted due to concerns surrounding fundraising activities being significantly curtailed under the proposed legislation.

He said: "What you're bringing forward here will destroy the fundraising abilities of local organisations in my constituency. The North West Hospice's prize-fund is €20,000 and is on Ocean FM. It's a lotto and it will be banned from being broadcast on that radio due to this legislation. 

"Local GAA [Gaelic Athletic Association] clubs raffling a car to help with the development of their pitch will not be allowed to advertise that product on social media bar those who like their Facebook page.

"If my local GAA club want to do a car draw, they will be prevented from advertising that within the community they operate unless those individuals are already subscribed to their Facebook page. That's nonsense."

McGrath supported him on that, insisting the knock-on effect for racing was being ignored. "It will not deal with the issues it should deal with," he said, "and then it tries to kill small clubs and communities in this way."

Doherty also questioned the appropriateness of political parties being exempt from the restrictions in the bill.

He said: "I have been lobbied by many different groups. They will look at this legislation and see the government put in a provision that makes political parties exempt. We can advertise on social media. We can hold draws for cars and houses."

James Browne: "We treat this as a public health crisis"

In response to Doherty's concerns, Browne said: "What we are talking about is gambling advertising between 5.30am and 9pm. What's the genesis of it? A unanimous recommendation of the justice committee, including Sinn Fein TDs. 

"You backed this and now you come in here and you say we support the regulation of gambling but we want exemptions for the charity sector, the sporting sector, the bingo sector, for schools, for radio and the horseracing industry.

"You want to exempt almost everybody. You don't want to regulate gambling, you want to regulate the commercial gambling industry. That is different to what we're doing as we treat this as a public health crisis."

The amendment to the bill proposed by Sinn Fein, which would have exempted registered charitable organisations provided the activities were for the sole benefit of the organisation, was defeated by the government by 68 votes to 57.

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