Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

Yes. Will the Minister consider the following example? If someone is lucky enough to win €8 million in the lotto, which is quite a frequent occurrence here, a 10% tax on the amount over €500,000 up to €4 million would yield €350,000 for the State. A 20% levy on winnings over €4 million would yield a further €800,000, which would be €1.15 million for the State. The jackpot winner would still go away with €6.85 million, which I am sure he or she would be very happy with. Considering that there are 260 national lottery draws every year, with prizes exceeding €500,000, there is considerable potential for the State to generate revenue. It may be something that could be specifically examined. I am sure the national lottery would not be overly happy with this proposal, but it is a win-win situation. The State would win, while the jackpot winner would not complain too much.

Another example is that of Dolores McNamara who won over €115 million. Under my proposal the State could be in for a windfall in such a scenario of approximately €20 million. The EuroMillions winner, meanwhile, would still be up by €96.5 million. It is a proposal that warrants consideration.

See this speech in context