You are the Minister of State.

We discussed these matters at the justice committee and the Minister of State referred earlier to protecting people, harmful gambling and people at risk. We believe that at least one member of the authority should have the lived experience and personal knowledge of what it is like to go through the throes of addiction so that, when the authority meets, there is a voice in the room that can speak for those who are the most vulnerable and most affected. We can work together on this issue. I am not sure why it has not…

I am disappointed the Minister of State will not accept the two proposals we made in amendment No. 17. He recognised the importance of people with lived experience being on the authority. The problem is if is not copperfastened in the legislation there is no guarantee we will have a person with lived experience on the board and it is vital the authority has that vast experience available to it. I will not delay us longer, but with people in the industry, we must ensure the integrity and we must ensure a cap of no m…

I move amendment No. 18: In page 26, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(s) participating in the revision of the money laundering or terrorist financing risk assessment as it relates to gambling biennially in collaboration with the Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee, liaising with An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners, and any other relevant bodies.”.

I move amendment No. 20: In page 28, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: “(4) The Office of Government Procurement and the Authority shall produce an annual report, to be laid before the Oireachtas, detailing any and all activities under this section.”.

It is self-explanatory that the authority should come under the Freedom of Information Act. This is important. There is the whole issue of transparency, accountability and independence. Why would we not grant the ability to make an FOI request? The Minister of State might not think it is necessary. We discussed it at the justice committee. It is always important to put in protections and we feel this is a protection that could be added in. We do not see the reason why it cannot be added in. Why would we not do it? …

The Minister of State referred to the exemption for An Garda Síochána. I do not know how we can correlate an exemption for An Garda Síochána, which is for very sensitive information, and an exemption for a gambling authority. To be honest that does not sit with me. The Minister of State spoke about the systems being set up already to ensure transparency. In another section, the issue will come up on levies that will be put on to companies. Perhaps I picked the Minister of State up wrong and maybe he will clarify. T…

I believe we should bring in the amendment and I will press it but I will not call a vote.

I agree with Deputy Daly. The one advantage we have with this Bill is that we are able to look at the legislation that is in place globally, see what has and has not worked and cherry-pick to ensure our Bill is the best legislation possible. The industry is providing funding to certain groups to provide education, counselling or a website where people can go if they think they are at risk of gambling harm but it is not a true reflection of the profits these companies are making and the effect gambling is having on …

I have listened to Deputy Doherty’s point of view. We have a guy in our club, Vincent Ahern, who goes around and runs all the draws. He is a brilliant bit of stuff. He is going around bars and shops on Blarney Street on the north side of Cork city, putting up posters to advertise all of the different fundraising that the club will be running during the year. If we get to a situation where the draw is over €10,000 or it is for a car, is that advertising? We would love to have a house if anyone wants to donate a hous…

I ask the Minister of State to give some clarity on amendment No. 54. A reference to "betting" is being removed and it is unclear why. The amendment seeks to delete "once-off gaming, betting or lottery activity or product" and substitute "once-off gaming or lottery activity or product". I know I always refer to my own club, St. Vincent's. I am on the board of management of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers. They might hold a horse race night. Different organisations would have a horse race night or a dog race night. Does this…

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, on his appointment. Obviously, we will have a robust debate over the next 12 months, but I wish him all the best. Where we can work together, we will, because this is a vital area. It is important to introduce legislation and amendments that we can agree on and work together on. Best of luck to the Minister of State. It is now well known that the workplace smoking ban has had a transformative impact on the health and well-being of people in the State. It was …

Sinn Féin believes in investment in infrastructure. In my constituency of Cork North-Central, we have seen an infrastructural deficit brought on by decades of underinvestment and neglect by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. This has left my constituents with heavy good vehicles, trucks and cars driving through because Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised a north ring road for Cork and, after they destroyed the country in the financial crash, it was scrapped. Now half of the city has a ring road on the south side, and nothin…

Will the Tánaiste update the House on the number of sailings the Naval Service had to cancel in the last 12 months due to staffing shortages?

Last month, the Irish Examiner reported that only one ship is currently available to patrol our 1 million sq. km exclusive economic zone. The newspaper also stated that a lack of expertise delayed the use of two smaller vessels, which arrived from New Zealand last May. These are unlikely to become operational until the winter, at the earliest. These two vessels cost €26 million. A decade ago, we had eight Naval Service ships patrolling a smaller area than we do today. We now have one, and as the Tánaiste said, poss…

We have seen the Naval Service do some excellent work, considering the resources available to it. The service needs to be commended on the work it does. I was told recently by a person on the ground that a ship left port without the required manning levels and health and safety measures in place. I do not want to say who told me this but they firmly believed the ship should not have left port. Manning levels on ships are a critical issue now. This is coming from somebody on the ground. We have a crisis in the Naval…

Will the Tánaiste update the House on whether he has engaged on the report and the reported €10 million payout on Defence Forces claims in the past three years?

I stand corrected on the figure, which was just €7.5 million over the last three years. However, this is concrete proof that there are serious issues in the Defence Forces. It vindicates the Women of Honour in many ways and proves there is a need for an inquiry to deal with significant issues that cause serious harm to those in the Defence Forces. According to the Irish Examiner almost 500 claims are currently undergoing litigation. This is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. The majority of people will drop their…

Has the Tánaiste met the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces to discuss the current issues? What interim measures will be put in place pending the inquiry to improve existing complaints procedures? It was really disappointing, and that is probably not a strong enough word, that the Women of Honour did not see the terms of reference before they were published. The Tánaiste met them in November and it was reported there were frank discussions. I know there is a process in place now but if the Tánaiste reflects on th…

There are huge issues with all of the bus services in Cork. Last week, Sinn Féin in Cork brought out a policy outlining that a minimum of 30 extra drivers need to be hired by Bus Éireann to fill the gaps that are now showing. Due to traffic congestion, we are seeing more people using the buses, which is what we all want, but the problem is that buses are being delayed and are not turning up – they are ghost buses. People cannot depend on the bus service. The most disappointing aspect is that the app is not accurate…