I seek a debate early in the next term on the abuse and misuse of the Garda PULSE system. I will give three brief examples of serious abuse of the system. This morning, I received a telephone call from a professional person, a young man, who was involved in a road traffic accident which resulted in him taking a breathalyser test. The judge in the subsequent case before the courts applied the probation Act. However, when the man in question found employment, his employer ran a check and despite not having a conviction, he lost his job because the incident featured in the PULSE system. This is an abuse and misuse of the system. When the young man complained to the sergeant, the latter indicated that it was his view that the judge had made a mistake. Sergeants, superintendents and gardaí may not act as judge and jury. The case was decided in court and was not appealed. The matter should have rested at that.

In a second case, a young man who I knew well got a job driving for the new travelling banks which have replaced bank branches that have been closed. When a check was done on him, it was found that he had been convicted for a small misdemeanour at the age of 17 years arising from a Mickey Mouse charge that was brought when he and a few other young fellows who had attended a party were found on a pub premises about half an hour after closing time. Despite the nature of the charge and the fact that nobody was hurt, the young man's name came up in the PULSE system. Following six weeks of employment, he was sacked for having a criminal record. Is that fair?

The third case relates to a young man who was the innocent party in an affray five or six years ago in which he had the hell beaten out of him and was left with severe bruising. I know the family in question. When he subsequently went for a job, his name featured on a check of the PULSE system, despite the fact that those who assaulted him had been convicted in court and received suspended sentences and heavy fines. A friend of the family, a sergeant in Dublin, asked how the young lad's name featured on PULSE given that he had not done anything wrong and had not been charged. I am sure Senators will see what the problem is from these three examples.

In my view, the PULSE system is being misused. I think it is worthy of a debate here. A professional was refused a job. The telephone call I received this morning angered me. He has done nothing wrong. In one case, the judge applied the Probation Act, which means the man in question has no criminal record. It is an absolute disgrace that the garda is using the PULSE system to stop people from getting work. I hope we will have a debate on justice matters, with specific reference to this issue, when the new term starts in September. We need to consider whether the PULSE system is working or is being abused. It seems to me, based on what I have heard, that it is being scandalously misused.

I strongly support Senator O'Donovan's call for a debate on the PULSE system. The examples he has given the House this morning are very worrying. It would be a major injustice if somebody's access to employment or somebody's career prospects were endangered in any way simply because information of a minor nature is held on a computer system. The Minister for Justice and Equality needs to clarify the matter and assure the House that insignificant information about people that is stored on the PULSE system is not used in a prejudicial way.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate with the relevant Minister - probably the Minister for Health - on the issue of gambling addiction at an early stage in the autumn session. I heard something worrying on the radio this morning. People in the UK can now access the Paddy Power gambling service online via Facebook. I am sure it is only a matter of time before people here can access it too. There needs to be a great deal of discussion on online gambling and the taxation of gambling activities. Many lives are being ruined by excessive gambling. There is anecdotal evidence of a close link between excessive gambling and suicide. We all know of many families that are in grave financial difficulties as a result of excessive gambling. A significant debate on this issue is needed because it has significant social and health implications for many people. When a calm atmosphere descends on this House again in the autumn, we should discuss how we can tighten the laws that govern online gambling, secure more taxation from such activity, make gambling less attractive and examine the significant health issues associated with gambling.