asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that old established amusement caterers, who relied to a large extent in the past upon bingo and similar games for their livelihood, are threatened with extinction by reason of the fact that the restrictive provisions of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956 which apply to them do not apply to amateur operators who are thereby enabled to offer prizes in excess of those offered by the amusement caterers, and are able to operate on a much more ambitious scale; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Gaming and Lotteries Act.
28.
I am not so aware. The game of bingo is a recent introduction to this country and the suggestion that amusement caterers ever depended on it for a living cannot be well-founded.
The principle whereby the operation of certain types of gaming and lotteries is reserved for charitable organisations was clearly accepted in the 1956 Act. I have no reason to think that any move away from that principle, in favour of commercial amusement caterers, would be welcomed either by the Oireachtas or by public opinion.
Is the Minister not aware and, in fact, has an instance of it not been brought to his notice recently—and similar cases must inevitably arise if this particular instance proceeds as it is going in a certain seaside town—that old-established amusement caterers who have been providing employment and paying rates for a long period of years now find their businesses practically extinguished by the slick introduction of a large-scale operation by allegedly benevolent or philanthropic interests but which is really done by entrepreneurs and people from distant parts of the country who have made a racket of this to the detriment of the people——
That is a long speech.
And a good one.
And to the point, I hope.
I am not so aware.
Mr. Donnellan
It was useful.