Inquiry into public health approaches to tackling gambling-related harm: 8th oral evidence session

Topic: The provision and resourcing of research

Date: Monday 19 June 2023

Time: 12:20pm

Location: Zoom

Chairperson: Philip McGuigan

Minutes taken by: James Mayne, Chambré

Members Present

Danny Donnelly MLA

David Honeyford MLA

Maoliosa McHugh MLA

Philip McGuigan MLA

Apologies

Robbe Butler MLA

Harry Harvey MLA

Secretariat
James Mayne - Chambré

External Guests
Aoibhinn Treanor – Committee for Education clerk

Charles Ritchie – Gambling with Lives

Ciarán McGinley - GamCare

Daniel Bliss

Dara Keeve - Chambré

Debbie Sharpe – Department of Health

Emer Boyle – Assembly Communities Committee Clerk

Jane Rigbye – YGAM

Kyle Riding

Marguerite Regan – Department for Health & Social Care

Martin Jones - Gambling with Lives

Michael Smyth – Department for Communities

Oscar Donnelly - Toward Zero Suicide Patient Safety Collaborative; Northern HSCT

Paul Kitchin – Ulster University

Scott Taylor – Department of Health

Thomas McKeever – Royal College of Psychiatrists

Tunde Adebisi

Will Chambré – Chambré

Minutes

1.      Welcome

Philip McGuigan MLA welcomed members to the meeting.

2.      Minutes of last meeting

Members agreed that the minutes of the last meeting (24 May) were a true and accurate representation of that meeting. This was proposed by Philip McGuigan MLA and seconded by Danny Donnelly MLA.

4.      Matters arising

None.

5.      Introductory remarks

The Chairperson opened by recapping the seventh oral evidence session on the APG’s inquiry, members heard from Barry Grant, representing Extern Problem Gambling and Sharon Collard from the University of Bristol. They discussed the wider social impacts of gambling.

6.      Inquiry into public health approaches to gambling-related harms in NI: 8th oral evidence session - The impact of gambling on health and wellbeing:

The following presented:

-        Marguerite Regan – Department for Health & Social Care

-        Paul Kitchin – Ulster University, Head of School of Sport

-        Oscar Donnelly –  formerly Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Well-being at the NHSCT; Chair of Towards Zero Suicide

The witnesses then took questions from members.

The Chair thanked the speakers for their presentations, and members for their questions.

7.      AOB

None

8.      Next meeting

The next meeting will take place on Monday 19 September at 12:00pm.