Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

"7. The employment rights of employees of the National Lottery and the contractual rights of agents of the National Lottery shall be protected by this Act.".

It is crucial that we give clarity to the staff and agents of the national lottery that they will be protected under this arrangement. Former staff of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society were not given such protection and the Government set an unfortunate precedent in this regard. There are concerns that this will be used again by the national lottery if a foreign operator wins the licence.

The wider issue, which is not related to the amendment but which is important, is the availability of national lottery permits to business people who do not currently hold them.

That is a wider issue but I want it put on the record. This section, if added to the Bill, would provide that general protection to employees and agents that is required to give them peace of mind and to prevent a repeat of the debacle that happened with Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society.