Michael McCarthy (Labour)

It was a knee-jerk reaction to a very grave situation.

I went into a shop in Kinsale recently. A notice on a lottery machine stated that every time one purchases lottery tickets, one supports an arts project or a sports programme in one's community. The sports capital programme for 2009 has been abandoned. Every time someone buys a lottery ticket in this country, a portion of it goes to the State for the sports capital programme. I do not know how much will accrue to the State this year but, seeing as the sports capital programme has been abandoned, what is the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Martin Cullen, doing with the money? Is it being used to bail out and recapitalise the banks?