Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last year, I introduced the National Lottery (Protection of Central Fund) Bill, the purpose of which was to try to protect the central fund, in particular from offshore online speculators running bets on the outcome of the national lottery. They are perfectly entitled to do so but it is of public concern because when people buy a lottery ticket part of the money goes to the Central Fund, which is for the benefit of the public and we all know of good projects. If we have people drifting away from buying national lottery tickets to betting on the lottery online, they do not contribute to the Central Fund. This was the purpose of the Bill.

The Minister of State dealt with this a little in the Seanad so I will listen to what he has to say. There is a slight difference between Deputy Ó Laoghaire's amendment and mine. I have redefined the outcome of a lottery game so as to not catch those people who are not offshore online operators. Many people are affected by it or present themselves as being affected by it. I will be interested to hear what the Minister of State has to say.