Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider including the words natural environment on the list of purposes to which National Lottery funds could apply in the National Lottery Bill 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13390/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The categories for the disbursement of National Lottery funds provided for in section 41 of the National Lottery Bill 2012 include national culture and heritage (including the Irish language) and youth, welfare and amenities. These two categories are quite wide and would not prohibit the funding of community projects which have an environmental dimension. Consequently, I am of the view that a specific category called the National Environment is not required.

Furthermore, the inclusion of a new category would inevitably lead to demands for the inclusion of other specific categories, thus leading to greater demands on the amount of funding available and the dilution of the effectiveness of those funds. Accordingly, I do not propose to alter the categories of good causes specified in the Bill.