Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is important that it goes to good causes. The main point in playing is the chance of winning something. As the lottery has changed, the different games have developed a different prize structure. Some offer prizes in excess of 50% of the take, up to 55% in some of the games. Therefore, rather than have a fixed 30% of all going to good causes, I have suggested a fixed percentage of an overarching amount of sales, less prizes. That is what I am working on currently. The advice I have received is that this is the way all the modern lotteries are structured and that this will maximise the take for the good causes, particularly as the lotto grows and different games are advanced and approved by the regulator. I will write that into the licence and it will not be subject to change thereafter.