Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator O'Donnell about the appointment of the lottery regulator which I welcome. The sooner he takes up his position, the better. Unfortunately, yesterday, 3,500 outlets - many of which depend on the income from selling lottery tickets - lost their service when it collapsed. These difficulties have been happening for quite some time, since the lottery changed hands a number of months ago. It has not been running smoothly at all. It is time that we had a discussion in this House on the operations of the national lottery. I understand it will cost the franchise-holder over €150 million to upgrade the IT facilities. I worry as to who will be paying for this upgrade. Will it be the charities that depend on allocations from the national lottery? We were told the reason for the establishment of the national lottery was to fund charities. We need to examine the situation and hold to account those who have the franchise for the next 20 years. The Irish people are buying the lottery tickets and they deserve to see where that money is being spent and that charities will not suffer as a result of the need to upgrade the IT system which should have been built into the proposal before the franchise took over the lottery.

I welcome the fact that Dr. Pauric Travers is the mediator appointed jointly by the Department of Education and Skills and the teachers' unions to make recommendations on the impasse on the proposed changes to the junior certificate. He has made recommendations to the Department and to the teachers' unions. The teachers' unions are meeting tomorrow to consider these recommendations. I hope this situation can be resolved and that the young people of this country and the teachers are not subjected to a number of days of strikes.