Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will make arrangements to designate animal welfare as one of the purposes which will receive benefit from the proceeds of the National Lottery; and if he will make a statement on the policy for disbursement of lottery funding. [25725/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is not intended to designate animal welfare as one of the areas which will benefit from the proceeds of the National Lottery.

Under Section 5 of the National Lottery Act, 1986, the surplus from the National Lottery may be used for: sport and other recreation; national culture (including the Irish language); arts (within the meaning of the Arts Act, 1951); health of the community; and for such other purposes as the Government may determine. The following additional categories have been so determined: youth, welfare, national heritage, and amenities.

Under the legislation, the allocation of funding among the categories is a matter for the Government. There is no specific formula for the allocation of funding among categories. The Government decides on an annual basis how the surplus from the National Lottery is to be allocated in the context of the overall Estimates process.

Since 2005, total expenditure on National Lottery funded subheads in the Votes of various Government Departments has been greater than the proceeds from the National Lottery. Consequently, expenditure in these subheads has been part funded by the proceeds from the National Lottery, the balance being provided by the Exchequer.

In these circumstances, it is not intended to designate any further areas as being eligible for National Lottery funding.