Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Algeo is a little imprecise in the replies to some of the questions. I will ask questions now, Chairman, and you might possibly let me speak again at the end. Mr. Algeo said in his initial statement: "Since 2015, national lottery ticket sales have grown by an average of 6.6% per year, a turnaround from the previous seven-year period during which ticket sales shrank by 20%". Has he any idea why they shrank by 20% in the seven-year period he mentioned? Has it not more to do with the national economic crash, which covers that period exactly, when people did not have as much money to speculate? Was that not the reason the lottery faltered during that period, as opposed to taking credit for the fact that it has grown in the subsequent period of national economic revival?