Rae defends lottery draw

TD MICHAEL Healy-Rae has become embroiled in controversy this week after it emerged that he does not have a valid permit to hold a fundraising raffle for his general election campaign.

The Kilgarvan TD sent out letters to supporters seeking financial support for his election campaign via a fundraising raffle or donations.

Prizes totalling €2,000 were allocated to the draw and supporters were asked to pay €30 for one ticket or €50 for two.

That would raise a maximum of €3,000 based on the sale of 100 tickets, the number Deputy Healy Rae’s son and Director of Elections Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae is understood to have said were issued.

However, Michael Healy-Rae subsequently told The Kerryman that he had sent out 150 tickets and, based on previous similar fundraisers, he expected to make €10,000 for his campaign from the raffle and donations.

Based on the maximum amount that could be raised from 100 ticket sales – and the cost of the prizes on offer – then a minimum of 400 tickets would have to be sold to raise €10,000.

Deputy Healy-Rae, who is one of the richest TD’s in Leinster House, said he has previously held a similar draw.

“I see no harm in it. It is a legitimate way of collecting funds”.

“Political parties have state funding,” he added.

Deputy Healy-Rae said the fundraising raffle letters were only sent to businesses he deals with, not personal households and only to a “targeted amount of business people”.

He said that he believed he had a permit but only discovered on Friday night that issues arose and further paperwork needs to be completed to get the permit.

Gardaí in Killarney refused to comment on the situation.

“I will comply with the regulations. I was told I had a permit and then on Friday I was told there was a technical issue ,” he claimed.

Gardaí in Killarney, who are responsible for the permit, must now send the paperwork, he claimed.