asked the Minister for Justice whether evasion by a bookmaker of payment of money due to a client by pleading the Gaming Act is taken into consideration before the granting of a licence under the Betting Act, 1926, to such an applicant, and whether a licence is withheld in such a case; further, whether he is aware that it is alleged that licences in such cases have already been granted, and if such will be withdrawn.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - GAMING AND BETTING ACTS.
replying: Certificates of personal fitness under the Betting Act, 1926, are issued to persons proposing to carry on the trade of bookmaking by Superintendents of the Gárda Síochána. Such certificates can only be refused on the grounds prescribed by the Act, amongst others, that the applicant is by reason of his general character or his known habits not a fit person to hold a bookmaker's licence. Failure to pay betting debts would be taken into consideration in deciding whether the general character or the known habits of the applicant unfitted him for the trade of bookmaking. I am not aware that any certificates of personal fitness have been granted to defaulters, but if the Deputy knows of any such case I shall be glad if he will send me particulars.
I should like to ask the Minister if he is aware that there was one case in Cork where a constituent of mine won £120 and the bookmaker refused to pay; he brought the bookmaker before Judge Wyse-Power in the Cork Circuit Court on June 1st, 1922, and the bookmaker pleaded the Gaming Act and escaped scot-free; this constituent lodged a complaint on that ground with the Inspector of the Gárda in Cork recently, but in spite of that the bookmaker in question got a certificate of personal fitness from the Inspector?
I wonder if the case referred to is the same case in which the complainant in one instance was afterwards the defendant in a case for trying to extort money by threats?
I have not the faintest idea. I do not want to mention the name of the bookmaker in public, but I will do so if the Minister wishes. I will send him the full particulars as I have got them.