James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of the Senator's amendments is effectively to ban betting on the national lottery. I certainly appreciate the Senator's position that this betting potentially takes away from the money distributed to good causes supported by the lottery. We cannot say with certainty that prohibiting betting or similar activities with respect to the national lottery would mean those who bet on it would automatically switch to purchasing national lottery products instead.I accept there is anecdotal evidence to that effect. The Senator will also know that this Bill is explicit in that it does not apply to the operation of the national lottery and the operation of the national lottery is subject to the provisions of the National Lottery Act 2013, which is the responsibility of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and is already regulated by its own dedicated regulator, the regulator of the national lottery. It does not fall under my remit.

I appreciate the Senator's concerns but the matters the Senator raised are for the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and the regulator of the national lottery to consider. I certainly do not have Government approval to put it into this Bill. In the circumstances, I cannot accept the Senator's amendment.