Does the Government intend to amend the lottery legislation with a view to controlling or banning the sale of British lottery tickets in our jurisdiction? I understand that national lottery sales have fallen by 10 per cent in this quarter and are dropping. British lottery tickets are being sold openly throughout the country on Fridays and Saturdays.
Order of Business (Resumed).
There are no specific proposals in regard to that matter under consideration, however general legislation concerning the implementation of the report of the Costello committee on charities is being prepared and I expect it will be published in the second half of this year or very early next year.
Will the Taoiseach state for the information of the House and the general public that the sale of British lottery tickets in shops is legal? Those selling national lottery tickets have to have a licence to sell them but the sale of British lottery tickets is an open shop.
Let us not anticipate Deputy Woods's Bill on the matter.
This is a different aspect. Deputy Woods's Bill is about charities who have no money at all but my question is on the national lottery.
It is not in order during the Order of Business for me either to be asked for or to provide interpretations of the existing law. On the Order of Business I answer questions on promised legislation and my role is not to provide a legal interpretation service.
The Taoiseach might be more forthcoming in his instruction to the Government Whip on Dáil reform. Where stands the Land Registry Bill?
That legislation is designed to convert the Land Registry into an autonomous body and will be introduced in the House in the first half of next year.
The Taoiseach in his statement to the EU conference in Milan said that beef is 20 times more important to us than it is to every other EU country. Does he agree with yesterday's statement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when he flew the white flag and sold out agriculture? This is the first time that any Minister has done that.