Inquiry into public health approaches to tackling gambling-related harm: 10th oral evidence session

Topic: Advertising and Gambling

Date: Monday 2 October 2023

Time: 12:00pm

Location: Committee Room 30, Parliament Buildings

Chairperson: Philip McGuigan

Minutes taken by: Dara Keeve, Chambré

Members Present

Robbie Butler MLA

Danny Donnelly MLA

Stephen Dunne MLA

Maolíosa McHugh MLA

Philip McGuigan MLA

Justin McNulty MLA

Apologies

David Honeyford MLA

Secretariat
Will Chambré – Chambré
Dara Keeve- Chambré
Emer Haines – Chambré
Nathan Preston - Chambré

External Guests

In person

Emer Boyle – Assembly Committee for Communities

Online
Jeremy Bacon - BACP

Maura Brown – Dunlewey Addiction Services

Tim Cairns - CARE

Mhairi Kernaghan - Department for Communities

Aphra Kerr – Maynooth University

Jenni Martin – Samaritans NI

Thomas McKeever – Royal College of Psychiatrists

Maura McMenamin – Ulster GAA

Mark McQuade – Assembly Committee for Education

Ciaran Mee – Department for Communities

Maurice Meehan – Public Health Agency

Diane Owens - CCEA

Scott Taylor - Department of Health

Minutes

1.      Welcome

Philip McGuigan MLA welcomed members to the meeting.

2.      Minutes of last meeting

Minutes for the previous meeting (19 September) were proposed by Maolíosa McHugh MLA and seconded by Danny Donnelly MLA.

4.      Matters arising

None.

5.      Introductory remarks

-        The Chairperson opened by recapping the ninth oral evidence session on the APG’s inquiry, when members heard from Dr Helen McAvoy, Director of Policy, Institute of Public Health, and Dr Ciara Reynolds, Public Health Development Officer, Institute of Public Health. They discussed the impact of gambling on children.

6.      Inquiry into public health approaches to gambling-related harms in NI: 10th oral evidence session - Gambling and Advertising:

The following presented:

-        Erin McAvoy – Research Associate in Gambling Studies at the School of Sport, Ulster University.

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 be held on Monday 23 October at 12pm via Zoom. The group will hear from Dr James Noyes, Senior Fellow of the Social Market Foundation, on gambling advertising and promotion.