Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The sad reality is that the national lottery should have remained an independent fund to which people could apply and there should have also been much more accountability and transparency. It is unfortunate that private golf clubs received very generous funding from the national lottery. That said, we are in a time of crisis. Our very survival was challenged two years ago. Thankfully, as a result of slow, methodical work, both internationally and nationally, we are in a situation now where at least we have a future. Unfortunately, in order to sustain and develop the future and to ensure that people have a future, difficult decisions have to be made. This is one decision I find extremely difficult to make. I am not convinced about it.