Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Lottery.

Michael Ring

Question:

137 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Finance the reason many towns and villages cannot get an online lotto machines resulting in people having to travel up to twenty miles to play the lotto; his views on this particularly with reference to competition legislation; and if the Government will make it a condition of the new licence that rural Ireland will be better represented by ensuring more villages get on-line machines. [10777/99]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The Irish national lottery began operating in 1987 under the provisions of the National Lottery Act, 1986. It is operated by An Post under licence from the Minister for Finance. State control is retained, while efficiency is encouraged by placing the lottery in a competitive business environment. The licence sets out the detailed framework in which the lottery must operate, but within that, the licence holder can operate with commercial freedom.

Under the existing licensing arrangements, the number of agents to be appointed to sell lottery tickets or to operate the Lotto game is a matter for determination by the National Lottery Company (NLC) subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance. The company advises me that the present number of agents selling lottery tickets is based on the level of population and is in accordance with international norms for sales of this nature.

All applications for agencies are considered in detail by the NLC having regard to such factors as their existing sales network in the area, volume of business, distance from the other outlets and so on. Although the NLC constantly reviews the network, a process which sometimes give rise to alterations, I am advised that the on-line Lotto network of approximately 2,010 terminals is cur rently satisfying player demand. In this context, there are no plans to increase the number of agents at present.

The Department of Public Enterprise has advised that the European Parliament and Council Directive 97/67/EC on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of services in all member states ideals with,inter alia, the basis for defining postal services which are provided on a monopoly and a competitive basis respectively. The services covered by the directive are the clearance, sorting, transport and delivery of postal items. The location of lottery terminals or other such services do not come under the provisions of the directive.