Rehab: Shatter gets full audit every year

A board member of Rehab Lotteries has said the company cannot understand how Justice Minister Alan Shatter expressed concern about its lottery activities because he and his predecessors have been supplied with a fully-audited breakdown of the figures on an annual basis since 1997.

John Maguire, of Rehab Lotteries, insisted Mr Shatter’s criticism of the high cost of the scratch cards was unwarranted and misleading, despite the figures that showed that out of €4m sales in scratch cards, profits were just over €9,452.

Mr Maguire admitted “profits have been low” and provided the Irish Examiner with a limited breakdown of the €1.3m in scratch card costs, saying 12.5% went to retailers, 5% on printing tickets and distribution, 60% in prizes, and the other 22.25% in “overhead costs”.