Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank colleagues for their contributions to the debate last night on my Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013. The Minister probably did not come into the Chamber intending to support the proposal, and his decision not to oppose it was most welcome. The strongly worded and unanimous support for the Bill from colleagues in this House was critical in that success. Our achievement in this regard is a testament to the Seanad which I hope will help to safeguard its future.

I am not a great supporter of State involvement in business affairs and, as such, I did not object to the proposal to sell the national lottery licence for €600 million. However, the announcement that the sale is likely to fetch only €300 million is more suggestive of a fire sale than a business operation. We must consider whether this is the right course of action. The argument we have heard is that a failure to sell the licence will lead to a reduction in the moneys available for good causes. The reality, however, is that securing such a low sum for the sale will damage the prospects for good causes in any case, irrespective of the identity of the successful bidder. I propose that the State should instead allocate €30 million of funds raised each year for good causes, which would enable us to build six hospitals in the next 12 years. It makes little sense to sell the licence for a price that is only half of what was initially indicated.