Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is hard to believe that the national lottery was established in 1987. Through the years it has obviously raised substantial amounts of money for the four main sectors of youth, sports and recreational amenities; health and welfare; arts, culture and national heritage; and, in particular, the Irish language. The Bill will repeal 1986 legislation and establish a new national lottery regulator. The new National Lottery Bill will, please God, mean an upfront payment to the Government by the successful tenderer for the 20-year licence. The upfront payment to the State in the longer term could be in the region of €500 million.

The objective of the licence competition is to procure a substantial upfront payment for the State in return for the granting of exclusive rights to operate the lottery for a 20 year period while retaining significant revenues to be utilised for good causes.

I commend the current lottery licence holder, An Post, which has held the licence since 2001, on the excellent job it has done, particularly for communities. Every community in which there has been a substantial winner is aware of the excitement a win causes, including for the local agent who sells the winning ticket. I congratulate An Post on its commitment.

The Bill proposes a relaxation of the rules governing online sales in an attempt to increase the saleability of the licence, which will be auctioned. Currently, less than 3% of ticket sales are via the Internet, which is in stark contrast to our European counterparts where up to 15% of business is generated online. The Bill provides various player safeguards, including strict age verification systems and self-exclusion opportunities to comply with responsible gambling norms. Key to this legislation is the decision to ring-fence just over 30% of lottery income for good causes. The licence will be extended to 20 years. This means the successful bidder will be able to provide continuity of service, value for money and stability to our much loved institution. The Bill also provides for appropriate financial, probity, regulatory and other safeguards, which will ensure the operational flexibility required to facilitate the growth of the 20 year licence.

Currently, two thirds of Irish adults are regular lottery players. Those who have had the unsuccessful flutter can rest easy in the knowledge that 30% of our gamble will continue to go directly to good causes. To date, the national lottery has provided more than €4 billion in funding to youth, sports and amenity projects throughout Ireland. Among the most recent beneficiaries of national lottery funding were our Olympian boxing champion, Katie Taylor, fellow Olympic medalists, Paddy Barnes and John Joe Nevin, and sailing sensation, Annalise Murphy. National lottery funds are also used to support a massive range of projects and charities, including Down Syndrome Ireland, the Paralympics team, Glór Theatre, Ennis, The Myasthenia Gravis Association, the Alzheimer's Association of Ireland and Barnardos, to name but a few. Since the establishment of the national lottery, almost €4 billion has been raised for good causes. Of the money raised by the national lottery during 2012, some €718 million was returned to communities, which represents 93% of sales. Following the sale of the licence, the lottery will continue to make a positive difference, with €200 million of the amount paid for the licence to be put towards the construction of the new national children's hospital.

The national lottery has been so successful people have become complacent about it. More than €225 million per year is generated for good causes. When people were asked in a recent national lottery survey how much they thought it generated, the response was €70 million. As such, it is far more successful than people know. There is no community in Ireland that has not benefited from national lottery funding. Prior to Christmas last, my constituency was successful in obtaining a sporting grant from the national lottery of €1.3 million, which was very much welcomed and will make a significant difference to the community.

The national lottery is a firm institution and is responsible for the creation of 447 millionaires. It has generated more than €6.3 billion in prizes and channelled more than €4 billion into good causes. The funding has been a catalyst for community development, with groups who raise a significant portion of the funding they require receiving a national lottery grant. Communities benefit from the work of individuals on the ground. Along with core funding, this stimulates development of our communities and towns throughout Ireland. This can only be good and to our benefit.

See this speech in context