Lottery proceeds and Priory Hall
Senator O’Donnell credits the lottery licence payment with helping fund the budget, then demands accountability for Priory Hall and other construction failures.
This is a different point of view. It is as follows: I personally would like to thank the plain people of Ireland for the budget.
Comment on this
No, for the budget. Because without the €405 million from the lottery, there would be no budget. That is what the Government got from Camelot and An Post for the lottery licence - €405 million. Over the past 25 years the lottery has made €12,000 million and every year it has given €232 million after it has paid out to good causes. Camelot got the lottery on the cheap for €405 million. That is what paid for the budget because, first, that is going to pay for a start to the children's hospital, and second, other projects such as the better energy one and the city of culture in Limerick, which I am pleased about, things in Cork, projects including a sports arena and the Atlantic Way drive. The lottery created the budget. We do not know how much of the €405 million we will have to pay back in interest. I cannot get the information.
Comment on this
I am. First, I want a Minister to come to the House to answer the question. As I listened to the budget I felt as if I was becoming like a larger lemon every five minutes because we gave €10 million to Priory Hall, which was the right thing to do for those people who were in that situation, but in spite of all the Priory Halls and ghost estates around the country, not one builder, county councillor, planner, architectural firm, engineering firm or anyone else has been brought to book. Not one person has been made responsible yet the aged community are outside the Dáil and we are asking them on a daily basis to take decreases and cuts. How do we consider that to be fair play? They have not seen one example of justice. I would like a Minister to come to the House to tell me how the people who have created the situation where cuts are taken from 80 year olds and 90 year olds - cuts to their pension, lifestyle, telephone allowance and electricity - can do so. How could one ask people to do that and to take any form of cut when we have not yet brought to book the people who brought the situation about? I would like some Ministers to come to the House to answer that question.