Results 8,341-8,360 of 20,088 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: We have established a number of things. None of the unclaimed prize money of €121 million-plus over a six-year period went to good causes or into the community. We have established that 98% of it was used for advertising and just 2% of it was used for extra prizes. We have teased out the words "shall" and "may" and highlighted the problem in that regard. Based on the figures that...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Okay. I thank Ms Boate for the clarification; 28% of sales goes back to the community. It is rolled over 61 times. I thought it was 51.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: That highlights a significant problem.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: The €19 million.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: We have also discovered that the operator came up with the idea of putting in the extra balls.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: It was the operator's decision. I feel that a lot of the €120 million, which was the money from the extra draws, should have gone to good causes but I was surprised when I saw that in fact the figure was only 2%. When we look at the balance in terms of advertising and PR, which is another way of promoting the lotto, one would imagine that the extra draws would be an incentive for...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Does the office have concerns about gambling? We know that there is a problem with gambling addiction in this country and that it is currently increasing. There are serious concerns in that regard across various Departments, society and the health service. Does the regulator's office have concerns about the advertisement saturation that exists? Has there been any communication with the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: I accept that is the case with the role, strictly speaking, in a legal sense, but most people feel it would be helpful if the regulator had that role. The problem I have with this is that the first time it landed on my desk was in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. Previously, I was not aware of any of these issues. How did we get to this position? There are some extreme...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: I thank Ms Boate.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Earlier in the meeting I got this clarified. Between 27% and 28.5% goes back to good causes and organisations. The figure that has been given takes in prizes and the 6% that goes, rightfully, to the retailers and shops that sell the lotto tickets. When the prizes and so on are stripped away, it is actually around 28%. Continue, Deputy.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: It was the changes that were introduced which made it more difficult. That is the point the Deputy made.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Can we just clarify a point? I listened carefully to Ms Boate as she outlined the powers that she has. She has revisited these again in the last few moments. Ms Boate must approve any changes to the game. I asked the question earlier about the two balls being added. Did Ms Boate approve that?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Did the office approve it?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: Who approved it?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: When did this happen?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: In which year did this happen?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: I will just bring in Mr. Nolan from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Was the Department in the loop about the two extra balls being added?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: The advice to the Minister was that this was okay. At that stage the Minister was the regulator.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: It was the Minister of the day who approved it.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: National Lottery Fund (24 Nov 2022)

Brian Stanley: I will continue with some questions and we may also have another Deputy popping in, or we may not. On the breaches of the licence, how many times has the licence been breached since the regulator's office came into being in 2014?