Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On 4 April 2012, I announced that the Government had decided to hold a competition for the next national lottery licence and that the licence will be for a 20-year period. Since April, my Department has carried out a considerable amount of preparatory work for the competition. It will be necessary to revise the National Lottery Act 1986. The Government has approved the general scheme of the National Lottery Bill 2012. The general scheme has been sent to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. It is my intention to seek Government approval for the Bill in the current session and, subject to Government approval, the Bill will be published shortly afterwards. In tandem with the publication of the Bill, I will set out a scheduled timeline regarding the competitive process for the next licence.

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