Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

The Irish Kidney Association, for example, benefits from the national lottery to fund its organ donation drive and donor cards. Such initiatives are rarely alluded to. People tend to mention other projects that are highlighted in the media. Worthy projects, such as the kidney donor card, have extraordinary outcomes and a huge effect on people's lives. I am sure the Minister will take this into account when he is looking at the legislation. While we do not support his proposal, weight of numbers will ensure that the Minister has his way.

We have had an enormous amount of success since national lottery funding first became available. Many communities and organisations have benefited from it. It is of concern to all in the House that this benefit to the nation should continue. If the Minister's proposal goes ahead, I am concerned that we will, in time, regret the fact that we took the money upfront and did not take a bigger stake in the ongoing lottery. I know we will get the money back in 20 years, but that will be a long time in coming.

I did not hear the conclusion of the Minister's speech. Has it been decided that the money from the sale will go to the proposed national children's hospital? Has the funding been ring-fenced and will that ring-fencing be included in the legislation? The only way to guarantee that the money will go to the new children's hospital is to state as much in the legislation. It is not sufficient for the Minister to say so in a speech to the Seanad. I suggest to my colleagues who put down this motion, which we are supporting, that they table an amendment to the Bill on this issue and see if Government Senators support the implementation of what the Minister has promised in his speech. The Minister can hardly object to enshrining it in legislation that the money from the sale of the national lottery will be ring-fenced for the new national children's hospital if he has undertaken to do so.

I must declare an interest. I was chairman of a club in Kerry that received funding from the national lottery.