Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are at the risk here of becoming a nanny state, if we are going to be making applications for lifeblood issues that keep clubs running. National lottery sports grants were announced recently and I salute every club. They put in impeccable and professional applications. Some may have got professional advice and that costs a lot of money too but many did them on their own. They have become a dab hand at them now. They have split the bucket - the weekly lotto and many different fundraisers. Occasionally, as Deputy Doherty said, one might see draws for cars. A club near me in Ardfinnan ran a draw for a camper van early in the spring and there was a huge takeup. Is the Government going to be prescriptive so the organisation will have to say it will make a certain amount? It will make as much as the people who are selling the tickets have the energy and the time to make, and if there are people who want to support the club or organisation. There are many out there and surely to God they should not have to complete cumbersome or multiple applications. As it is, clubs and organisations have huge issues trying to get officers. The ones who are there, like myself, are long in the tooth. Not every club has young, energetic people coming along. Some have, and they are lucky, but in general, they are finding it harder to get volunteers to become members of these clubs and organisations, let alone to become chairman, secretary, or treasurer because it is cumbersome. Some clubs and organisations are limited by guarantee and there are lots of regulations and standards that they have to comply with.

Are we going to completely regulate these issues including for a simple ordinary split the bucket or things like that? There are too many applications for different types or levels of draws. It could kill the spirit of the Irish people altogether. We are renowned for looking after ourselves. We are enablers. We have the best of clubs and organisations. While some of them struggle, many of them keep going and keep working an-chrua ar fad gach lá. I am afraid this legislation will be over-reaching and we will have another quango we will need to pay homage to with requirements to make applications for every Tom, Dick and Harry thing we want to do.

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