Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 May 1992

Vol. 419 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Lottery Funding.

Ivor Callely

Question:

172 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline Government policy on the allocation of national lottery funds; and if he will outline his views on the suggestion that the national lottery money is being used by the Government to compensate for Government cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

The basic purpose of the national lottery is to generate revenue for designated activities — sports, culture, the arts, the Irish language, health, welfare and such other activities as may be designated from time to time by the Government.

Lottery funds have enabled the Government to undertake some important initiatives such as the commitment to a programme of regional and local sports centres. They have also been used to assist many national cultural institutions, and major projects such as the restoration of the GPO and St. John's Castle in Limerick. Charitable and voluntary bodies and activities have also benefited substantially by way of grants of lottery funds.

As already mentioned, lottery resources have also been used to fund some social expenditures which benefit the community generally or particularly deprived or deserving sectors of society. Some examples here would be the library service, amenity grants, essential equipment for hospitals, and the National Aids Research Programme.

I can assure the Deputy that the lottery is not intended as a primary source of funding for the core public expenditure programmes. Rather it permits spending on certain important but nevertheless more discretionary areas of public expenditure to be maintained or expanded at a time of difficulty in the public finances. To the extent that some of these programmes might otherwise have been curtailed, it has helped to offset such cutbacks.