Frankie Feighan
Sligo-Leitrim · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Among patients reviewed after 12 months of treatment, there was an 88% reduction in episodes of cellulitis, an 80% reduction in hospitalisations associated with cellulitis, significant reductions in GP and public health nurse visits, and reduced demand on both acute and community services.”
“This will deliver an additional 263 positions to the service and will particularly help to support capacity building in our front-line emergency services.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter in the House. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I am aware of the issues raised by the Senator. He will appreciate that neither I nor the HSE can comment on any individual case.”
“I can confirm to the Seanad that we are currently progressing development of a third HEMS to serve the west and north west regions, including the mid-west, and planning for the new HEMS is well advanced.”
“In my opening statement, I focused mainly on aeromedical services in Ireland, particularly the helicopter emergency medical resourcing, HEMS, to provide access to emergency patient care for the people of the mid-west region, including west Clare.”
“On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, I thank Senator Conway for the opportunity to update the House on the delivery of aeromedical services for the people of west Clare and the surrounding area.”
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“These strategic priorities are set out in the Department’s statement of strategy for the period 2025 to 2028. Central to this strategy is the need to deliver effectively by leveraging our responsibilities across public expenditure, infrastructure, reform and digitalisation in order to respond to the evolving needs of society. The importance of public procurement to achieving these objectives is reflected in two key supporting actions. First, we are shaping a future for public procurement that embraces reform and is transparent and socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, and accessible by SMEs, through the national public procurement strategy.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for the opportunity to attend and to discuss developments in the area of public procurement. The Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation operates at the centre of government to drive the delivery of improved public services, higher living standards, and sustainable infrastructure for the people of Ireland. As Minister of State responsible for public procurement, digitalisation and eGovernment, I work closely with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, towards these aims. Our Department’s remit spans three broad and interconnected areas, namely, the governance and oversight of public expenditure, building capability and capacity across the civil and wider public service, and the effective delivery of key Government policies.”
“In our area, we have Moygara Castle, Carrowkeel, Sligo Abbey and Carrowmore and it is amazing to see people come who say they are there for the megalithic tombs or whatever. We sometimes take them for granted so I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I will discuss it with the Minister again tomorrow.”
“I reiterate that the OPW remains committed to the conservation and protection of Rattoo Round Tower. Repair works will ensure the long-term preservation of the monument and provide the foundation for a careful reassessment of the extent to which internal public access may be possible. The OPW looks forward to the completion of this project and welcoming the Deputy and the local community to view the interior of Rattoo Round Tower in the not-too-distant future. The Deputy is absolutely right that this is an area of conservation. We also have heritage sites all around the country and sometimes we take them for granted. We probably did so. The Deputy outlined that German tourists came especially to see Rattoo Round Tower and Clonmacnoise. We have others.”
“I think it will be delivered as well. As the Deputy is aware, there are challenges with access to the tower given the tall, slender structure with its confined internal spaces and steep vertical climbs. For the future, it will be necessary to undertake a safety audit of how visitors can access the areas within the tower, given the limitations of its upper floors. The Deputy also said that 15 years sounds like an incredibly long time and I suppose the locals in Ballyduff are anxious that the tower open as quickly as possible. It is interesting to hear it is of international archeological importance. The more we can do to open these facilities and heritage areas, which are much treasured, the better.”
“Upon completion of the repairs, as previously advised, the OPW will issue a full report to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as required under the terms of ministerial consent. The OPW intends to introduce a new interpretation service at Rattoo Round Tower that will explain its history and context in Ireland's early Christian heritage. The OPW would welcome community stakeholder engagement during this process. That is what the Deputy called for - information signage to be put up and that will be helpful. It also hopes to be in a position to facilitate internal access to the tower for Heritage Week 2026. The logistics are currently being considered and the main factors contributing to this will be an appropriate outside access structure and the form it will take. That is the platform the Deputy is looking for.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Rattoo Round Tower, national monument No. 55, is a national monument in the ownership of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and is maintained by the Office of Public Works. In recent years, as the Deputy outlined, an ongoing programme of repairs has been undertaken, which included the regrouting and repointing of stonework and the installation of a platform to facilitate safe height access for future maintenance. The substantial works on Rattoo Round Tower are now complete and it is envisaged internal lime-washing will be done in the coming weeks when the walls have sufficiently dried out after the winter.”
“Our embassies and consulates overseas play a vital role in providing support to Irish citizens who have been arrested or detained, and this is a core part of our consular assistance mandate. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is precluded from intervening in the judicial and legal processes of another country in the provision of consular assistance. I will bring Deputy Boyd Barrett's views back to the Department.”
“I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett. As I mentioned, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is fully aware of this case and has provided all appropriate consular assistance to the citizen and their family since September 2025 and will continue to do so. The Department, through its consulate general in Munich, has been in regular contact with the citizen since their detention began, and a series of consular visits has been possible to verify that the conditions of their detention are in line with those of other detainees.”
“I will bring this back to the Minister. I assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to provide all necessary and appropriate consular assistance to the citizen and their family.”
“Our consular officers can also act as conduits, helping to share information from and to loved ones in Ireland if that is required by the citizen. I understand that the conditions of detention in the case referred to by the Deputy are the same as those of any other person in their situation, which includes access to video calls and in-person visits. Prisoners at the facility in question also have access to a social worker. I understand that court proceedings in this case started yesterday. As laid out in the consular assistance charter, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its embassies and consulates abroad are precluded from intervening in the judicial and legal processes of another country. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment on the ongoing legal case. The Deputy asked that we send monitors to the trial.”
“I can confirm that a dedicated consular officer in the Consulate General of Ireland in Munich has been assigned to support the citizen and their family and has provided support and advice in accordance with the Department's consular assistance charter. I can further confirm that staff in the Consulate General in Munich, including the consul general and deputy consul general, have undertaken four consular visits to the citizen in prison, most recently on 10 April. We are in regular contact with the citizen and with family members. Consular visits are an opportunity to check on the welfare of a citizen, ascertain if there are any medical issues that require attention, offer pastoral support, and assess the conditions of detention.”
“I am responding on behalf of my ministerial colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who are unavailable due to their ministerial duties this evening. Providing consular assistance to Irish citizens who find themselves in difficulty abroad, including in cases of arrest or detention, is a cornerstone of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its embassies and consulates around the world. Each year the Department provides support to a significant number of Irish citizens arrested or detained overseas. Our ethos has always been to place a strong emphasis on ensuring that Irish citizens receive timely and empathetic consular assistance. We are aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. Consular assistance has been provided to the citizen referred to since September 2025, soon after their detention.”
“Building information modelling, BIM, provides a structure for information generated in respect of a construction project. There is now a high-level implementation plan for phased adoption of the BIM on public works projects. In three years' time, all public works projects will have BIM requirements incorporated. As of 1 January last, milestone 6 of the Irish BIM mandate for CWMF has been reached. These requirements now include the contractor and supply chain on applicable projects up to €10 million. The Government continues to provide support to the industry to adopt all these areas through the Build Digital Project. There is a lot of good work going on, and we need to continue it.”
“There are ongoing reforms, as the Deputy knows, on the capital works management framework. It is an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material and technical procedure. It covers all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project, from inception to final project delivery or review. The structure of this strategic framework is closely aligned with and complements the infrastructure guidelines developed by the Department of public expenditure and reform. A key theme of the review of the capital works management framework, CWMF, is the development of high-quality information to enable better informed decisions, reducing risk on construction projects. We need to secure value for money. It is an ongoing priority for the Government. It is at the heart of all decision-making at every stage of policy or programme life.”
“Further reforms that are highlighted in the action plan include formalising dispute avoidance and early warning provisions; the development of an early engagement model to enable collaboration at the earliest point to drive efficiencies; the introduction of lean principles; and further adoption and promotion of digital technologies. There is also a focus on training and supports for contracting authorities engaged in works delivery through the commercial skills programme. Through the construction sector group, there is ongoing engagement between the Government and industry on building the capacity of the sector itself through a range of supports and productivity measures.”
“Reform of procurement is specifically called out under action 25 of Accelerating Infrastructure: Report and Action Plan. There are also a number of actions focused on improving the visibility of the pipeline and providing greater certainty around the timing of the delivery stage of critical infrastructure. Government policy with regard to public works procurement continues to require comprehensive definition of the brief and detailed description of the scope as this represents the most efficient means of delivery. There has been a significant move to rebalance the level of risk that consultants and contractors are expected to bear when engaged on public works projects. Liability caps and index-based price adjustment mechanisms have been introduced in the consultancy and construction contracts.”
“Again, I thank Senator Tully for raising this and the attention she has given to this important matter. As noted previously, given the particular nature of the matter at hand, it is necessary for the HSE to investigate this in further detail. If the Senator wants, I will raise it with the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I will also raise it with her myself this evening when I meet her. If the Senator wants to send that information on to me as well, we will make sure that this gets dealt with as quickly as possible. Again, I thank the Senator for raising this issue. If there are any blockages in the area, they need to be sorted out sooner rather than later.”
“The Government must have cool heads and we must all try to work together to navigate this very important issue and many other important issues we will face in the future. I thank the Senator again.”
“I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this very important issue. The Government position on the need for a State-operated strategic gas reserve in the form of floating storage and a regassification unit that will store liquified natural gas has been very clear. The strategic gas emergency reserve is a priority project of a strategic nature, required to mitigate the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise if Ireland was to experience an interruption to our gas supplies via the subsea interconnection. As I said, it is not intended for commercial use. As the planning application for the Shannon LNG project currently with An Coimisiún Pleanála is a private project, the Minister for climate and the Department have no function. However, there are difficult, choppy waters ahead.”
“A policy, legislative, regulatory and operating framework for the SGER is now being progressed to give effect to the Government decision and direction. Any application for an alternative commercial LNG facility will be subject to the statutory planning, consenting and regulatory approvals by relevant bodies, and the appropriate provisions of the relevant legislation will apply. The request for comment on LNG projects, and Shannon in particular, refers to a private project. This project is currently the subject of an active application for consideration before An Coimisiún Pleanála. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for the Minister to comment at this time.”
“In identifying this as the optimal approach, the Department built upon the extensive review of security of Ireland’s gas and electricity systems which was approved by Government in the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 plan in November 2023. The SGER will be owned and operated on behalf of the State by the transmission system operator, Gas Networks Ireland, GNI. Having assessed a range of options, the FRSU was recommended by GNI to meet the Government’s criteria and requirements to quickly develop a strategic and emergency gas reserve aligned with the Climate Act. The SGER will not increase gas demand and will be divested when no longer required, thereby avoiding the risk of fossil fuel lock-in or stranded fossil fuel assets.”
“The Government position on the need for a State-operated strategic gas emergency reserve, in the form of a floating storage and regassification unit that will store liquified natural gas, LNG, has been very clear. The strategic gas emergency reserve is a priority project of a strategic nature required to mitigate the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise if Ireland was to experience an interruption to our gas supplies via subsea interconnection. It is not intended for commercial use. The LNG will be held in reserve at the appropriate scale to maintain supplies for the duration of the disruption.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this serious and indeed topical issue in the current climate. We are effectively in the middle of world war three and energy supplies and many other issues are coming to the forefront which we must deal with as a Government, not just in Ireland but across Europe and across the world. In March 2025, the Government approved the development of a State-led strategic gas emergency reserve, SGER, in the form of a floating storage and regassification unit, FSRU. The delivery of a gas reserve is critical to Ireland’s energy security as we continue to transition to indigenous, clean renewable energy, and will also ensure compliance with EU standards and regulations.”
“The Minister has signalled her intention to continue to pursue the development of the family resource centre programme over the lifetime of the Government and in recognition of the very important work these centres do in their communities. Organisations considering applying for future programme membership under an open call would be well served by examining the criteria associated with the 2025 open call, which would give them a sense of the type of preparation that is required to give an application the best possible chance at assessment stage. I thank the Senator again for his contribution.”
“Once again, I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. It is reassuring that the past two budgets have allowed for 50 new family resource centres to be established. We always want more and I think we need to do more. All those invested in seeing supports put in place for communities most in need should see these recent developments in the family resource centre programme as very good news. The funding and expansion of services that assist people living in areas of disadvantage remain a priority for the Minister, for the Government and for all the services as well. Again, we need to work to increase funding and to expand the capacity and network of family resource centres.”
“Also, by availing of funding schemes operated by other Government Departments and agencies, there is great potential for family resource centres to grow their scope and reach and further embed themselves in their communities. I understand there is currently no additional funding available to further expand the family resource centre programme in 2026. The Minister has previously indicated that she intends to continue to pursue the expansion of the FRC programme through the budgetary process and in line with the programme for Government commitment. I will bring the Senator’s concerns back to the Minister. He certainly has outlined with great coherence the fact that this geographically widespread area needs another family resource centre to fill the gap there.”
“The benefits of community-based services such as family resource centres cannot be overstated and many of us will have witnessed at first hand the impacts family resource centres have on the communities they serve. They engage with vulnerable families, offer services to individuals across the whole life cycle from early years to senior citizens and, crucially, foster a positive and inclusive community spirit. The range of services they provide can be extensive as determined by the needs of the relevant communities. It is particularly important to note, and I think the Senator would agree, that many services are delivered at no cost or at low cost to families who otherwise might not be able to access them.”
“It follows an increase in the membership of the programme in 2025 by five members. A comprehensive national application assessment process was undertaken in 2025 which was led by Tusla and independently chaired by a representative of the University of Limerick. A total of 49 organisations applied for membership of the family resource centre programme, following an open call from Tusla for applications. This indicates again, as the Senator said, the strong level of interest in communities across the country in having family resource centres as part of their community infrastructure. Regrettably, funding only allowed for 15 new members to be selected, leaving 34 applications unsuccessful. I thank those organisations for their interest in joining the programme and for the important work they continue to do in their communities.”
“Commissioning a new family resource centre is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which is responsible for day-to-day administration of the family resource centre programme. Neither the Minister nor the Department have any involvement in the assessment process for new members of the family resource centre programme or selecting the new members. The Senator rightly said that Connemara has a huge geographical spread and there is a gap there. I will take that back to the Minister. There is a programme of Government commitment to work to increase funding and expand the capacity and network of family resource centres in budget 2026. This commitment will be honoured with funding secured for a further ten family resource centres. This has brought the family resource centre programme membership up to 126 members in 2026.”
“I thank Senator Kyne for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to respond. In regard to family resource centres, I started my political career about 26 years ago through our family life centres. It was part of the outreach services of the family resource centres. The service they provide in every town, village and major city around the country is exceptional. Many times people came to my office with issues. We have certain skills but for the skills that I do not have it was reassuring to ring the family resource centre and put them in touch. They were professional and confidential every time. I know the work they did and I thank them for the great service they give.”
“A lot of great work has been done and I thank the Minister of State. I thank the then Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, for the €16.4 million that came. I particularly thank Catherine Martin who was the Green Party Minister at the time because she ensured that got over the line. That has made a huge difference. Sligo Rovers will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2028 and the Minister of State who is very close to us will come down and visit that day. Again, it is great to see everyone here. It is good to see Joanna Byrne as well.”
“We went 32 years before England beat us again in Wembley in 2020. The victory in 1988 brought on the Celtic tiger because of the amount of pride it gave to Irish people, especially those living in London, Birmingham and around the world, as well as in Ireland. We beat England at their game and no blood was spilt. That is what sport is about. That is what it is really about. The only shareholding I have is 1,000 shares I bought when Fergus McCann was rebuilding Parkhead for Celtic F.C. in Glasgow. They are worth about €2,000 but I am very proud of that club, which has huge Irish connections. I put on record that Ray Houghton, the man who put the ball in the English net, is probably one of the greatest ambassadors we have for soccer. He is a lovely guy and he represents himself really well around the world.”
“It is great to see Deputies in the St. Pats, Waterford, Limerick, Dundalk and Drogheda jerseys. I will hop a few balls here; I am a big Rovers supporter. There is only one "Rovers" and that is Sligo Rovers. I understand there is a team in Dublin called Shamrocks. I will get in trouble for this. We got €16.4 million through the sports capital grant for Sligo Rovers. It is a community club. Money went to Bohemians as well. That is what it is about. If you want to get funding in this sports capital grant, you have to have good data and good governance. That is when the money will come out. Again, I thank Tommy Higgins and all in Sligo Rovers. They have a really professional group. I ran a double-decker bus to Germany in 1988. We beat England 1-0. It cost us €295 for two weeks, food kitty and drink kitty, but beating England was priceless.”
“I thank Deputy Gogarty very much. We also played in Old Trafford for Ireland against England. I grew up in Boyle and I was treasurer of that club. Many years ago we played on pitches with wooden goalposts, dry lime, long grass, bushes you togged out in, nets made of rope and cow dung. Things have come on an awful long way. I remember coming up here in 1987 with the then Fianna Fáil Deputy, Seán Doherty, to meet Frank Fahey who was the new Minister for sport. I remember we got £20,000. It was worth nearly £200,000. That built our clubhouse and we have come a long way since that. I thank the lotto but also the Department of sport for the amount of great work that has been done to provide facilities not just for soccer and Gaelic games but for all sports around the country. It has made a huge difference and it is great to see.”
“I want to show the Deputy that supporting children and young people in Corduff to enable them to reach their full potential through education remains an ongoing commitment, not just on the part of the Government but also on that of their parents, teachers and community. I thank her again for raising this very important issue.”
“Both schools serve disadvantaged school communities and continue to benefit from the enhanced support from the DEIS programme. This reflects the need of the supports needed in those communities. Through the DEIS strategy to 2035, the Department of Education and Youth remains committed to continue reviewing how educational disadvantage is identified and addressed in order to ensure that supports are targeted in a fair, consistent and evidence-based way, which is what we all want. The appeals window will open in the coming weeks and schools will be given the opportunity to update their school enrolment data and whatever other data is there. I encourage the schools to do that as quickly as possible.”
“The DEIS plus scheme has a clear specific purpose, which is to target a relatively small number of schools with the very highest concentrations of children and young people who are experiencing persistent and intergenerational disadvantage. As the Deputy knows, it uses an evidence-based identification model. Applying this model fairly means that not every school serving a disadvantaged community can be included at this time. We have all been in this situation over the years. I would have questioned why some schools were not included even in the DEIS programme. I found that difficult to understand, but the new system seems to be very transparent and open. As the Deputy rightly stated, this does not diminish the very real challenges faced by St. Patrick's junior and senior national schools.”
“Under the new DEIS strategy, both schools will receive increased DEIS grant funding and enhanced home school community liaison provision, HSCL, with each school now having access to their own full-time HSCL co-ordinator from the start of the 2026-27 school year. Schools will have the opportunity to appeal the decision not to include them in the DEIS plus scheme. An appeals window will open in the coming weeks.”
“While these challenges are often well understood locally, they are not always captured in data sets that can be fairly and consistently applied across the entire school system. A rules-based national model must rank all schools on the same basis. It cannot substitute locally held knowledge for data that are not available or comparable nationwide. St Patrick’s junior and senior national schools are recognised as serving very disadvantaged school communities. While they fall outside the threshold for inclusion in the DEIS plus scheme, they continue to benefit from enhanced supports through the DEIS programme.”
“These indicators are applied consistently across all schools using enrolment data from the past three years. Schools can and do show significant levels of disadvantage while still not falling below the statistical threshold required for inclusion in the scheme. A school-led application or self-reporting model would inevitably introduce inconsistency, inequality and inequity, which is why a transparent, data-driven and nationally comparable approach is essential. An independent OECD review of the DEIS identification model in 2024 highlighted the strengths of this approach, noting that it is multidimensional, respects GDPR principles and places no administrative burden on schools. The Department also recognises that some schools are operating in the context of particularly complex local pressures within their wider communities.”
“It is important to stress that a school not identified through the DEIS plus model does not in any way imply that the Department of Education and Youth is saying that disadvantage does not exist within that school community. DEIS plus schools were identified using a refined, rules-based model built on nationally available student-level administrative data. The model draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage, including small-area deprivation, lone parenthood and unemployment, Traveller and Roma identity and children living in State-funded emergency accommodation or international protection accommodation. The Deputy said that she felt trauma should be included as an indicator as well.”
“It is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based support to a cohort of 121 schools with the very highest concentrations of children and young people experiencing persistent and intergenerational disadvantage, which the Deputy outlined. This forms part of a wider full-year investment of €48 million, with approximately 30,000 children and young people nationally benefiting from inclusion in the scheme. The Deputy raised the question about St Patrick’s Junior National School and St Patrick’s Senior National School in Corduff not being included in the targeted DEIS plus scheme. I acknowledge, as the Deputy did, the exceptional commitment of the school leadership and staff, who work day in and day out to support children and families facing significant and huge challenges. Their work is critical.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The Deputy’s raised issues relating to a vicious feud and rival gangs, as well as issues around addiction, poverty and trauma. The latter have caused serious problems in Corduff and many other areas. I am familiar with Dublin 15. Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, and the Government. The DEIS plus scheme, as the Deputy is aware, will commence this year as part of the DEIS strategy to 2035. It represents the most significant expansion of targeted educational supports since the establishment of the DEIS programme.”
“These considerations are effectively linked with the brand and reputation of the national lottery feeding into the revenue for good causes. As such, the Department has emphasised that any action which protects and enhances the reputation of the national lottery and protects and supports the revenue for good causes would be welcome. This is the key concern of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation and his Department. The Department has already engaged with the GRAI and we are open to further engagement. We are very conscious of the very valuable investment in our communities funded by the national lottery and everything we do in this regard will be informed by the core consideration to maintain the relevance and value of the national lottery for future generations.”
“The authority has received submissions on this issue from Premier Lotteries Ireland, the Irish Postmasters Union and others. It is carrying out research on regulatory approaches in other EU and EEA jurisdictions as part of its engagement with the authority on this matter. Premier Lotteries Ireland has made the case that prohibiting betting on the lottery will enhance the revenue for good causes. In its engagement with the GRAI, which is an independent regulator operating within its own statutory framework, this Department’s perspective has been informed by two important considerations. The first is protecting the value and reputation of the national lottery while the second is ensuring the long-term sustainability of the national lottery and subsequently the indirect safeguarding of good causes funding into the future as a result.”
“The authority has informed the Department of public expenditure that it is currently examining the practice of operators offering bets on national lottery draws.”
“The GRAI has responsibility for regulating gambling activity in Ireland other than the operations of the national lottery, which is specifically excluded from its remit. The national lottery is independently regulated under statute, as I have noted, by the Regulator of the National Lottery. However, betting on the National Lottery through private bookmakers and gambling entities is a matter for the GRAI and will no doubt be considered within the framework of its own statutory framework and responsibilities. Officials from the Department of public expenditure met with the Gambling Regulation Authority of Ireland in December of last year about betting on the national lottery and the licensing regime relating thereto.”
“The work of the regulator has helped to give confidence to the purchasers of lottery tickets, that the process is overseen and its propriety and integrity is preserved. The legal framework for regulating the national lottery is well established, robust and functioning effectively. The issue raised by the Senator is, naturally, an important one of which the Department is aware. The Minister for public expenditure is responsible for the legislation underpinning the national lottery, which is the National Lottery Act 2013, and overseeing the distribution of the lottery's funding of good causes. Our Department, of course, has a natural interest in protecting and supporting and in helping to protect and support the unique identify, value and status of the national lottery for the people of Ireland.”
“The role of the GRAI is to make sure that gambling is well regulated and fair, that standards are in place and monitored, and that protections are there for those who are most vulnerable, particularly children. As regulator, the GRAI will be working to prevent gambling from being a source of or support to crime, putting certain limits on advertising and inducements and raising greater awareness of gambling harms. The GRAI aims to build a high standard of protection for consumers and to ensure the integrity and fairness of gambling operations in Ireland. Of course, it is appropriate to note in the context the very valuable role and work of the statutory independent Regulator of the National Lottery in ensuring that the dual operations of the lottery remain fair, just and safe.”