Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Senator O'Brien would testify from her business, it is no different for the private sector than it is for the State. We must have the same rationale and the same competitive edge in the public sector as we evidently have in the private sector.

One of the reasons I suspect there could be interest in this lottery internationally is a view that significant savings can be made on its operations, which would make it more sustainable in the long run. It is not just a question of people coming in to make a cheap buck out of our lottery. On the contrary, one of the reasons people view it as a good licence to obtain is that they believe they can drive greater efficiencies. It is no different from the rationale within the private sector.

Senator O'Brien asked if we are bound by this measure.

The answer is "Yes", we are bound by this under EU law. It is the same as the situation where Irish plcs and semi-State organisations can pitch for business across the 26 member states. The same principle applies in this instance. There must be consistency for procurement purposes across the European Union or advantage will be taken by the cottage industry of lawyers who take the State to task if there is some peculiarity in a procurement process. What we are doing is entirely within the spirit and the letter of EU law. It is in our own interests and the long-term interests of the lottery.