Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Donnell for her contributions on this subject which she has made on many occasions. Her bona fides on the matter is entirely without question. She has very strong beliefs about the role and future of the national lottery in this country and the need to keep it within public ownership and within the Irish system. As somebody with a Labour Party background, I too believe in State ownership. However, my view of that ownership is perhaps somewhat different in that I see State ownership more in the context of the State owning a basket of assets some of which, when the need arises, we can move around. We can change the inputs into and outputs from that basket. In other words, it is something that is there for us when we need it, whereby we can promote certain activities that we, as a country, want to promote.

I am conscious that during the 1950s and 1960s the role played by State companies such as the ESB and Bord na Móna was critical in the commercial and industrial evolution of this State. The companies were supported, not only by Fianna Fáil but also by the Labour Party, Fine Gael and every party within the State at different points in our history. Those companies were essential to the evolution of industrialisation in this country. Other companies were established because services cannot be provided unless they are provided socially, for example, transportation in rural areas, and so forth. I do not believe any of us in this House disagree that there is a role for State companies and, in particular, a role for their continuation. As the Minister has stated on other occasions, Irish Water is an example of how we are adapting as a State and moving forward with State companies to provide essential services that would not be provided unless the State engaged in the provision of such companies.

Privatisation has a bad name. It is important for us to distinguish that we are not privatising the national lottery per se, rather we are putting the licence up for sale, which is a critical difference. It is not as if we were talking about privatising Coillte. I know Senator O'Donnell has very strong views on the issue of national forests. I congratulate the Minister because he has fought a very robust battle to protect the assets of this State and State companies from the troika which, two years ago, as I am sure Members are aware, was looking for €5 billion in sales of State assets. Incidentally, these were not going to be put towards the children's hospital or anything similar but were to be put towards the national debt. The Minister must be personally commended on the role he played in that situation by protecting State assets.

Privatisation does have a bad name, but as I have stated in this Chamber the situation is similar to that of a family with savings. There are times when there is a need to dip into the savings account. I have a strong belief, which I have outlined in regard to this matter, that I regard the building of a children's hospital as one of the top priorities of this Government. It is important to remember that during the decades of Fianna Fáil rule, while we were building ghost estates throughout this country and leaving 230,000 empty units behind, we did not build a single hospital. Let us be realistic - it is for that reason we are now in a position where we must find from somewhere the money to build a children's hospital. As anybody who has ever had a sick child knows, we are not properly served in this country by the institutions we have available to us to protect our children, especially those who have acute diseases such as leukemia and life-threatening illnesses.

Much as I would love to be in a position never to sell anything, creating instead good-quality State companies as the need arises, the time to sell the national lottery is now. I might feel somewhat different if the asset in question was Coillte, or some of the other companies, but I am afraid I do not hold the national lottery in the same esteem. "Esteem" is the wrong word. The national lottery has provided a very valuable service to this country but I believe that service can continue. The Minister has included robust protections and has stated on many occasions in this House that he is determined to protect the services that benefit from the national lottery.

He has said on many occasions in this House that he is determined to protect the services that benefit from the national lottery. We have control over the terms under which the licence is offered and we are in a position, for example, to protect the retailers whose livelihoods will be affected. We are also in a position to protect the many good causes that will benefit from the national lottery in the future.

I believe this could be an opportunity for the national lottery. There is an opportunity, for example, to tap into the Irish diaspora all over the world, who could contribute to an enhanced national lottery. We should not see this as the end for the national lottery but rather as a potential beginning. We should never see ourselves as being in a position where we cannot use State assets and State companies for the purpose for which they were intended, that is, for the betterment of the Irish people and Irish society.