Almost 20% of lotto funding last year came via the Exchequer

Almost 20 per cent of money given out to good causes under the auspices of the National Lottery came directly from the Government rather than ticket sales, the Comptroller and Auditor General's report has found.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which controlled the National Lottery Fund up until the end of last year, blamed the anomaly on "technical and timing issues" related to the recent privatisation of the lottery.

The C&AG latest report reveals that while €217 million was disbursed to various sporting and charitable programmes last year under the umbrella of lotto funding, only €178 million (82 per cent) came directly from the fund, with the remaining €39 million financed through the exchequer.

Up until the end of last year the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform managed payments into the fund and it the authorised disbursements for the payment of prizes and operating costs.

However, since the franchise was privatised last November, this role has been handed over to the newly-established National Lottery regulator.