John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept it is a slush fund. The current criteria which apply to lottery funding are much stricter than the criteria which applied, if any, when the Deputy's party was in office. There were no calls for a change in procedures then.

It is a matter of public record that I made representations on behalf of the Killorglin rowing club, by writing two letters to the then Minister with responsibility for sport, Deputy McDaid. My understanding of the position is that after the score was originally awarded, the Minister was informed the amount he would have available for distribution would be €20 million greater than he had anticipated at the time the score was awarded. To be quite honest and to the best of my knowledge, I did not know what score the project had been awarded. It is going back a few years now.

I did what any Deputy would do in the normal course of events, whether on the Government or Opposition benches. I made representations on behalf of my constituents. That is what I am elected to do and it is my constitutional function. If I did not make such representations, I would not be here this afternoon to reply to the Deputy.

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