Gambling addiction service funding
Deputy Gould said a specialist gambling addiction service faced closure within weeks without funding and asked for emergency help. The Tánaiste said he knew the problem gambling issue was serious, asked for the details, and said he would make inquiries with the relevant Minister.
There is probably only one service nationally offering specialist treatment for people with gambling addiction. In four weeks, this service will have to close because of a lack of funding. What will people who are stuck in gambling addiction and their families do then? The service needs funding for the next few months until the Gambling Control Bill is finally passed and the social fund is established. Is it supposed to tell people in the meantime that the Government does not care? Will the Tánaiste help this service? We need the Government to care and provide the external problem gambling service with the short-term funding it is looking for.
Will the Tánaiste give a commitment today to find the short-term funding to keep that service open until the social fund is established?
Comment on this
I am not familiar with the particular service the Deputy mentioned but I am familiar with the real problem of problem gambling, which is probably getting worse during this pandemic because people are so restricted. If the Deputy wants to pass the details on to me or to my office, I will see what we can do. It would probably be a matter for the Minister for Health or the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Feighan. If the Deputy passes the details on to me I will make inquiries.