Some Senators may have heard the director of the national lottery, Mr. Ray Bates, give numerous media interviews explaining the rationale for this move. It is fair to say that this rationale was more or less accepted. We must also remember that the company is a commercial entity and is a source of considerable funding each year for a wide variety of worthwhile and essential projects and activities. In the current year, almost €200 million was provided from lottery funds. The more successful and cost effective the company the greater the level of funding there will be available for these purposes. This reminds me to some degree of Phil the Fluter in that, the more one paid, the more he played.