One armed bandits, slots, pokies and gambling machines to be outlawed in Dublin.

Dublin County Council votes to ban gaming machines by 39 votes to 14 with two abstentions. Since 10 am this morning the council has been hearing submissions from arcade owners and groups concerned about gambling including the National Youth Council (NYC) and relatives of those addicted to the gaming machines.

Arcade owners distributed contraceptives to the council with an accompanying statement saying that just as every citizen had the right to use contraception, those who wanted to use gaming machines had the right to do so.

The council has already received legal notification that there may be financial compensation for arcade owners if the ban is introduced.

After the vote was taken in favour of the ban, a spokesman for arcade owners Myles Tierney said that he expected that legal action would be taken seeking compensation. He said that many arcade owners would lose revenue and some may go out of business as a result of the vote.

You're possibly talking about a claim of millions.

Sean Walsh, County Council Chairman, said that he felt the vote was safe from any legal challenge.

The decision was welcomed by the brother in law of Shane Finn, a victim of gaming. Brendan Farrell described the result of the vote as the end of a long battle.

Hopefully, it's come to the point now where these machines won't be able to come back into the county.

An RTÉ News report broadcast on 25 July 1989. The reporter is Orla Guerin.