Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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251. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the recommendations from the independent review of the distribution and utilisation of lottery funding carried out by an organisation (details supplied) and published in December 2022 that he intends to act on; if he will provide a timeline for implementation of those recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8568/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In 2021, my predecessor, Minister McGrath, informed Government of his intention to commission an independent review of the distribution of National Lottery related funding to Good Causes. After a competitive process, Indecon Consultants were appointed to carry out the review.

The essential purpose of the review is to reinforce the sustainability of the National Lottery as a source of funding for good causes into the future, by reviewing the current model for distribution and utilisation of Lottery in the light of best international practice.

My Department and Indecon together carried out a public consultation process, a survey of the general population, a survey of beneficiaries and a review of lottery operations in the UK, New Zealand and Finland.

On foot of the review, a number of reform options have been developed, including:

- ensuring a greater acknowledgement of the National Lottery by beneficiaries and a reduction and refocussing of schemes that are supported, without reducing allocations for individual schemes;

- the creation of a Cross-Departmental liaison group to promote a greater acknowledgement of National Lottery support, data collection and any necessary coordination on any other operational issues;

- creation of a database of beneficiaries;

- the publication of an annual report setting out information on the beneficiaries of good causes funding; and

- regular independent evaluation of the impact of National Lottery disbursement, and the creation of an open fund for which applications can be made.

Ultimately, I believe this report sets out a viable framework for enhancing the sustainability of the National Lottery as a source of funding for good causes into the future.

My officials will be engaging in the coming months with the relevant Government Departments in order to progress the implementation of these reforms, beginning in 2023 and which will be sequenced across 2023, 2024 and 2025.