Results 14,301-14,320 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 21: In page 15, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) lottery infrastructure may be availed of in circumstances where it is of benefit to the community or is in the public interest but this may only be done by agreement between the regulator and operator following a proposal by the Minister.”.Section 29(2)...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That would not be envisaged, no.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We will debate that point but it might not be conducive to attracting people to use the machine.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Clearly the operator will want to give the biggest payback that is consistent with running an effective lottery because the bigger the prize, the more people play. Under the 1986 National Lottery Act, the minimum percentage of sales which may be paid out in prizes is 40%. I am proposing to increase it from 40% to 50%. Deputy McDonald suggests going a little further. From 40% to 50% is a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Kind of address it.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy McDonald has a parliamentary question down today for written answer on the same issue but I do not know if she has had a chance to read the reply.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: If the Chairman allows me do so it might help if I read the reply.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy McDonald's question was to ask the Minister for Public Expenditure the measures to be put in place to ensure an alignment of interests between good cause beneficiaries and the new operator within the new national lottery licence framework. The reply states: Since 1986, the lottery licence has been managed by An Post National Lottery Company and has made a significant contribution...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is the Government's job and I never intended the regulator to be able to alter that, but for the avoidance of doubt I am being explicit about it now.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 17: In page 14, line 23, to delete “operator” and substitute “licence holder”.The purpose of the amendment is to replace the term “operator” with the word “licence holder” in line 23 is to make the subsection internally consistent in language.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We thought about that and I am interested in hearing whether members have a different view on it. We are not allowing that. An amendment is being tabled to allow the system to be used for communication of a public interest message if the network is in place in the event of an emergency, for example. It is not envisaged that we would use the lotto network to sell other products or take out-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: No. That is not envisaged. I do not know whether people have views on that but my view is that we should keep the service as a discrete one.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 18: In page 14, line 34, to delete “certified” and substitute “deemed”.The word “deemed” is considered more appropriate as it reflects the fact that it is up to the regulator to judge if certain details of the licence are commercially sensitive. Section 28(3) provides that details of a licence certified by a regulator to be...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is making a strong and compelling case. Under the existing legislation and all the amendments to it going back to 1986, the licence issued by the Minister was not published as it was deemed to be commercially sensitive. I think that we should move away from that, which is the way we are going. It is not an area in which I have personal expertise. I am guided by the professional...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Okay.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will ask our advisers to deal with the specific question posed by the Deputy.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will ask our advisers to examine all the points raised. The points are well made.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 19: In page 14, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following:“(4) In the event of the Regulator deeming that details of a licence which are deemed by him or her to be commercially sensitive should be published in the public interest, he or she shall give the licence holder notice of his intention to do so and afford the licence holder an opportunity to make...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 20: In page 15, lines 10 to 12, to delete all words from and including “shall” in line 10 down to and including “ “operator”.” in line 12 and substitute the following: “shall— (a) be formed as a company, or (b) if the holder is (at the time of the application for the licence) a company or a company formed in another...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 25 provides that the Minister may issue a direction to the regulator in relation to the next licence to be granted by the regulator. This amendment provides that a draft licence issued by the regulator as part of a competition for a licence shall require the approval of a Minister prior to it being issued. The purpose of the amendment is to enable the Minister to ensure that the...