From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, has welcomed the transfer of €254 million from the National Lottery Fund to the Exchequer in 2020.
The amount of €254 million transferred in respect of 2020 represents a 1.4% increase on 2019. This is a record under the licence commenced by Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) in 2014, a commendable achievement in light of the very difficult trading environment in 2020.
Commenting on this development, Minister McGrath said:
“The National Lottery is an important asset which plays a vital role in generating funds for Good Causes throughout Ireland each year across a range of areas such as sport and recreation, culture and heritage, community health, the arts, and youth welfare.
Estimated total expenditure of €425 million will take place on such projects in 2021, which will be part-funded by the significant funds generated by the National Lottery.
In addition I welcome the work undertaken by my Department together with the Regulator to facilitate extensions of time permitted for the collection of lottery prizes as well as new facilitates for the collection of prizes due to lockdown restrictions.”
Almost €6 billion has been raised for use by Good Causes since the National Lottery commenced operations in 1987. The sectoral areas funded by Good Causes are set out in the National Lottery Act 2013.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
• Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI) is the operator of the Irish National Lottery, having been granted a 20-year licence by the Irish Government in November 2014.
• As per the terms of the National Lottery licence, almost 30c from every €1 spent on National Lottery games is returned to the Exchequer to be utilised by Good Causes projects.
• The National Lottery Fund is managed and controlled by the Office of the National Lottery Regulator. At intervals determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Regulator pays sums allocated for use by good causes into the Central Fund of the Exchequer.
• As set out in the National Lottery Act 2013, moneys paid into the Central Fund shall be applied to one or more of the following areas:
- sport and recreation;
- national culture and heritage (including the Irish language);
- the arts (within the meaning of the Arts Act, 2003);
- the health of the community;
- youth, welfare and amenities;
- the natural environment;
- such other objectives (if any) as the Government may determine from time to time.
• Appendix 1 of the Revised Estimates for Public Services, which is published each year, provides a breakdown by Department of all the expenditure areas that are supported by the proceeds of the National Lottery.