Opposition demands independent body to handle lottery funds

OPPOSITION parties yesterday demanded that an independent group oversee the allocation of lottery funding after it emerged that Sports Minister John O’Donoghue approved almost €6m for Kerry.

Minister O'Donoghue has put €5.85m into his native Kerry treble the amount spent in counties with bigger populations such as Limerick and Cork.

The Sports Minister's big spending in his own constituency has sparked a call from the opposition to establish an independent group to distribute the sports grants.