Liam Lawlor
Question:560 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Justice if she will urgently sign a ministerial order to remove the cap on charity lotteries. [14982/96]
Written Answers. - Charity Lotteries Regulation.
Máirín Quill
Question:566 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Justice when she proposes to amend section 28 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956, in respect of the limits in the regulations in order to remove the unfair cap on charity lotteries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15024/96]
Mary Harney
Question:685 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Justice her views on the continuing rapid decline in sales of charity lotteries; the measures, if any, she proposes to take to deal with this decline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15862/96]
Mary Harney
Question:687 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Justice the proposals, if any, she has in regard to the alteration of statutory instruments regulating charitable lotteries; if so, when she intends to introduce these measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15865/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 560, 566, 685 and 687 together.
The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Burton, dealt comprehensively with the Government's proposals in relation to lotteries and fundraising generally in the course of her contribution — to which I would refer Deputies — to the debate in this House on the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill on 18 June.
In particular, she indicated, against a background of concerns which had been expressed about the position of charitable lotteries, that the Government accepted that changes need to be made in relation to the cap on prizes which exists at present and proposed to make such changes in the context of a comprehensive reform of the legislative framework within which fundraising organisations operate.
There is a commitment in the Government Policy Agreement to reform the law relating to administration and regulation of charities along the lines of the Report of the Committee on Fundraising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes. Work on the preparation of this legislation is proceeding and it is hoped to introduce the legislation towards the end of this year or early next year. To assist this process, the Minister of State established an advisory group on charities comprising representatives of a number of organisations working in this area. It is expected that the group's report will be available early in September and at that stage it is proposed to refer the report to the Select Committee on Legislation and Security for their consideration.
I do not propose to make any changes in the regulations governing lotteries in advance of the completion of the process of legislative reform which I have outlined.