Vol. 446 No. 2
40 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the amount invested in prize bonds as a total in the current year; the amount of prize money awarded and remaining unclaimed in respect of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1734/94]
Gross sales of prize bonds in the nine months to end-September 1994 amounted to £18.7 million. Net sales were £12.2 million in this period. These figures compare with gross sales of £9.6 million and net sales of £3.3 million in the same period last year, and represent increases of 95 per cent in gross sales and over 250 per cent in net sales. The amount outstanding in prize bonds at end-September 1994 was £112.7 million. The total value of the prizes awarded in prize bond draws in the last five years was £26.6 million. At end-September 1994, approximately £400,000 of this prize money was unclaimed.
As the Deputy will know, every prize winner is notified by post at the last address supplied to the Prize Bond Company. In addition, a full list of winning bond numbers is published in the RTE Guide each week and is also displayed in post offices throughout the country. Nevertheless, difficulties in locating prize winners can occasionally arise especially in the case of old bonds.
