Ministers warned against ‘geographical top-up’ grants

Ministers who give grants to groups in their own constituencies without explaining why should be accused of "geographical top-ups" in the same way as charity officials have been criticised for misusing public money.

A leading patient group took the stand after a second day of concerns over significant lottery funding increases in Health Minister James Reilly’s constituency since he came to power in 2011.

Official figures show that, in the three years since the Fine Gael-Labour coalition swept to power, groups in Dr Reilly’s Dublin North constituency received major increases in support from the Department of Health’s national lottery discretionary fund.