Long-delayed gambling bill to be passed in coming weeks, but could be stalled by general election

However, Mr Browne accepted that his timeframe around the bill may be superceded by the calling of a general election, which would see the bill kicked to the next Dáil, despite having come to the chamber in December 2022.

“Whether or not this would be enough time or not, is something I’m not over,” he added.

Under Ireland’s proposed laws, once a person opts out of gambling, it will be an offence for a gambling company to allow that person to gamble, accept payment from that person for gambling, or communicate with that person in a way that encourages or promotes gambling. 

Work is also underway to identify technological solutions that would allow the register to operate.

Under the legislation, gambling companies that breach the law could face substantial fines of up to €20m or 10% of their turnover.

Speaking to The Irish Examiner last week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that he would be “very upset” if the law is not passed in the lifetime of this government.

Gambling is a terrible disease…it’s a shocking addiction, because it can wreck even worse than alcohol. It can wreck families financially and in so many ways. 

And that’s why I think James Browne deserves a lot of credit for bringing in the gambling legislation, and he’s kept with it, and I hope we get it through now before [the end of the Dáil].

“We have to make sure that happens.”

Speaking at the departmental briefing, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that the hiring of 400 additional staff in the International Protection Office (IPO) would help to tackle backlogs in applications, increasing the number of applications handled yearly from 14,000 to 25,000. 

She said that the IPO will be able to “start dealing with the significant backlogs that are there while at the same time responding to an ever increasing number”.

Ms McEntee said that the IPO is “reducing the backlogs and dealing with an increase in the number of applications overall”.