Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We agree on so much here that we should not fall out on the smallest detail. This provision is irrelevant to the legislation the Minister of State is bringing forward. We are considering the takings of a lottery or a bingo in one week. We are saying that 25% of those takings should go to charity. We are saying it should be up to whatever person, organisation or company is running the bingo game to decide how much of the remaining 75% to put into the prize fund and how much to keep for themselves or spend on running the business. The operator may have a good week when it needs to use less than 50% for prize money. There may be a week when there is a small crowd at the bingo hall and the operator needs to put 75% into the prize money. This provision would give operators the flexibility to do that. By giving them that flexibility, the Minister of State would be allowing operators to top up the prize fund from their own money, just as he has described. However, this would put that choice in the legislation rather than just suggesting it as an alternative. We need to be explicit about what people can do and be explicit in giving them flexibility. That is what we are asking for. I appeal to the Minister of State because I know he is a reasonable person. We all want to do the right thing here. The reasonable approach is to accept this small amendment and then we can move forward together.

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