Results 13,941-13,960 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I meant suspicion in the sense of particular constituencies being favoured and so on. The bottom line is that at least decisions made by politicians are accountable. One can put down parliamentary questions, call in the Minister or have a committee hearing. Often, we set up boards that are independent, and they are so independent that they are unaccountable. Even in terms of appointments,...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 44, which we have not reached yet, states that moneys are paid into the Central Fund by the national lottery. The Government then "shall", not might, apply that money for particular purposes, and the purposes are then listed in the Bill - for example, sport, national culture, the arts or health. I added "natural environment" at the request of Members of the other House, where a...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In the Revised Estimates that are published, the Senator will see the expenditure that is funded by the national lottery under every subhead. Could it be applied for some reason? I suppose there is no prohibition on it, if there were some crisis in health funding for the elderly, for example, where we might all agree this is what should be done, particularly given that we have lived through...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: No; I would not envisage a role for the regulator. The lottery regulator's job is to regulate the operation of the lottery, not the distribution of moneys, which must be done in accordance with the law. Everything that is involved in politics is regarded somehow as being open to suspicion. I found-----

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I meant suspicion in the sense of particular constituencies being favoured and so on. The bottom line is that at least decisions made by politicians are accountable. One can put down parliamentary questions, call in the Minister or have a committee hearing. Often, we set up boards that are independent, and they are so independent that they are unaccountable. Even in terms of appointments,...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is important that I give some clarification on this. I am anxious to maintain the income flow to good causes. I indicated the amount for good causes would be of the order of 31% of lottery sales, because that was, more or less, last year's pay-out. That figure is not in this legislation nor in the original legislation because it is determined in relation to the prizes and so on. I have...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I intend to construct it so that the good causes contribution will be linked to a percentage of what is called the "gross gaming revenues", which is basically the sales less the prizes. The reason I am doing that is that the variety of games offer a different prize fund. Despite what we might think, most people play the lotto to win a prize, not to support good causes. However, there is a...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is important that it goes to good causes. The main point in playing is the chance of winning something. As the lottery has changed, the different games have developed a different prize structure. Some offer prizes in excess of 50% of the take, up to 55% in some of the games. Therefore, rather than have a fixed 30% of all going to good causes, I have suggested a fixed percentage of an...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: A separate question was raised in regard to the retailers. I already indicated on Second Stage that I intend to protect the retailers' commission. This will be written into the licence.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: What collateral do I have?

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Am I to extract an annual payment to pay it back?

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am not going to turn myself and my Department into a gambling operator. Steady on, please. This has to be done in a regulated and measured way. Having a professional operator who has competence operating within the regime is a much better way of doing it. I am exploring every avenue to get capital to invest in the economy. Today we had very good talks with the president of the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: With all due respect, we have had external experts shape this legislation. If we get a substantial up-front payment of cash which I can turn into a national children’s hospital and have more to invest in other capital projects, it will get some of the 200,000 of the 250,000 construction workers who lost their jobs and are still on the live register back into work. Also, a national...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will do my best not to be discordant, but it is hard to listen to a Fianna Fáil Senator claim I have had to cut the capital budget. Why did I have to do so? It is because the country the Government inherited is broke.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I have to respond in kind. Yes, I did reduce the public capital programme.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let me answer the question. I did reduce it. Why? I did so because if we had stuck to the guidelines we had inherited, we would have-----

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: No, this is an important point.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: If I did not change it, we would be spending €1.5 billion less on the social welfare programme. We are spending €20.2 billion on such measures. The figure for the Fianna Fáil agreed programme is €1.5 billion less. It is difficult to take it from the capital programme, but it is more acceptable than taking it from the social welfare budget. It is not agreed. We...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: A separate question was raised in regard to the retailers. I already indicated on Second Stage that I intend to protect the retailers' commission. This will be written into the licence.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the views and the passion with which they are held. I have explained the genesis of this. It is no knee-jerk reaction. We have thought it out very carefully from the time it was first explored. In the preparation for the capital programme we examined how we can provide the capital infrastructure we need. I have just come from a meeting earlier today with the European...