NATIONAL LOTTERY funds should be distributed by an independent charitable trust to prevent them from being used as a "political slush fund", according to the Progressive Democrats.
Launching a policy document on the National Lottery yesterday, the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, said that the system of distributing Lottery funds should be depoliticised. Senator John Dardis pointed out that ministers had "very large personal discretion" on how this money was spent and claimed that it could be used for local electioneering purposes.
"The Lottery has developed into a massive source of political slush funds for politicians in power," said Senator Dardis. "Decisions to allocate monies have been made on constituency and political considerations - not on the original grounds of using this extra money to fund new community, sports, arts and health enterprises for all our citizens equally."
In addition, he said, Lottery funds were being used as a substitute for Exchequer spending. The Army Equitation School received National Lottery funding, for example, although it should be funded by the Exchequer.
An independent charitable trust should be established to distribute the Lottery funds to bring an end to political favouritism, unfair distribution and the underfunding of sport which had resulted from the present system, according to the policy document. Members of the trust should be appointed for a five year term by the Minister for Finance from nominations submitted by bodies working in the areas of sport, youth, culture, heritage and the voluntary sector.
The trust, said Ms Harney, should channel funds into four designated areas: sport and youth; arts and culture; national heritage and voluntary groups.