Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for listening to us once again on this important issue. There is no doubt the national lottery has contributed greatly to Ireland, with more than €4 billion contributed to a variety of good causes over the past 25 years. During this period it has managed to give to every county in the country and contribute to every sector while always maintaining the support of the public as it was never seen to give favourable treatment to one body, sector or county over another.

When the decision to establish the national lottery was undertaken in the 1980s, at which time much debate took place, as alluded to by Senator Higgins, we were in a time of economic difficulty. This was seen as a creative solution to help us with our problems. Once again we find ourselves seeking solutions to our economic challenges. As part of this, the Government agreed to a competitive process to award the licence for a period of up to 20 years. The licence will include an upfront payment to the State intended to fund the national children's hospital. The licence will guarantee an ongoing provision of funding for good causes each year.

The Minister has acknowledged in the past there must be competitive tendering, and under EU law the State is obliged to hold a competition for the next licence. In this respect we do not have a choice.