Plans to operate charity bingo games dogged by controversy

PLANS to operate charity fundraising games at the Rock Bingo Centre in Togher have been dogged by controversy for a number of weeks.

In September, the charity St Augustine’s Global Foundation was unsuccessful in its application to use the 1,000-capacity centre as its agent.

Among the objectors were the local gardaí. During the hearing, the superintendent told the judge that many charitable organisations depend on bingo for a significant part of their income.

“This is like a big supermarket coming in to swallow up the local shops,” he said, “They will be closed down by it.”

He also questioned whether he, as superintendent, should be concerned that “this big commercial organisation is going to come in, and out of €1 spent in Rock Bingo 10c will go to charity, 50c will go to prizes and 40c will go to Rock Bingo”.

“If the legislature wanted commercial bingo, they should have legislated for it. This is a way of circumventing the law.”

Other objectors at the time included St Finbarrs GAA club, Ballyphehane Community Association and the community centre operated at the Society of African Missions in Wilton. They said the area was already well-catered for in terms of the number of bingo nights being operated by sports, community and charitable groups.

However, in the days after that ruling, the Barber family remained optimistic, pointing out that the decision was being appealed to the Circuit Court — it is due to be heard in the next few weeks — and two further licence applications were being processed through the courts.

One such application was by the Mercy Hospital Foundation. It had been due to profit from last night’s games.

The operators of the Rock Bingo Centre have invested more than €700,000 in what they say is a state-of-the-art entertainment centre which has brought 30 new jobs to the area and offers a “fabulous” fundraising opportunity for its charity partners.

Asked last night about the fact that the attempts to open had been dragging on for some time, one of the owners and directors, David Barber, said: “It has in the sense that there has been confusion by the gardaí as to a charity who have been given a lottery license to promote a lottery — and bingo is a lottery — there seems to be confusion in appointing us their agent to run a lottery on their behalf.”