Billy Timmins
Question:54 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to set up an independent body for the allocation of lottery funds. [7051/00]
Written Answers. - National Lottery Funding.
I have no plans to set up an independent body to allocate lottery funds. The Government set up a review group in 1996 to consider national lottery funding and procedures. The group furnished its report in May 1997. It recommended that the allocation of national lottery funds for purposes approved by the Government should continue to be made by the Government rather than by an independent body.
I would like to take this opportunity to explain how the lottery allocations are made. The allocations to each department are decided by the Government subject to Dáil approval in the context of the annual Estimates for public spending. A special appendix listing the lottery-funded subheads is included in the Book of Estimates. Ministers must then account to the Dáil for the spending of the lottery monies on their Vote just as they do any other monies. The lottery subheads are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and included in his report to the Dáil. Thus there is a high level of transparency and accountability in the present system.