More unclaimed Lotto prizes should go to good causes, if the organisation is being run on a 10% margin.

That's according to Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan, who has queried claims that the National Lottery gives 90% of funds back to communities.

Any unclaimed Lotto prizes revert back to the operator - Premier Lotteries Ireland - after 90 days.

Deputy Durkan told Moncrieff that is where his questions begin.

"The Lottery were claiming that 90% of the funds accruing from the National Lottery go back to the communities," he said.

"That means it only takes 10% to operate the Lottery.

"I haven't seen organisations that can operate on a 10% management margin.

"The questions that arise from that are obviously: how does it go back?

"How much money is spent on individual advertising, and to what extent are there major prizes incorporated in the results for the last six years?"

'Where do big prizes go?'

Deputy Durkan said there should be more clarity.

"The public are generally very curious about the way it operates," he said.

"The part they're curious about is simply: where do the really big prizes go - how many of them are unclaimed?

"If that goes back to the operators, and they're supposed to use that funding to advertise and promote the Lottery, and there are many good causes that the Lottery does assist.

"But given that there are so many good causes floating around in unclaimed prizes, there might be some better use that it could be put to than just for advertising for the Lottery.

"The best advertising that can be done for the Lottery is the winning of prizes in the community".

'Open to conclusions'

Deputy Durkan said the advertising breakdown is also unknown.

"Where does it go? Which advertising agencies get it? Is it the newspapers, is it radio, is it television?" he said.

"It is bound by the rules that were introduced when it was launched, and it always has to be seen to be above board.

"I'm not suggesting that there is any impropriety, but it leaves the question open to conclusions by the people".

A national Lotto draw machine is seen in April 2017. Picture by: Philjhill / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo

Deputy Durkan said he has more questions to be answered.

"I want to try to find out how much was spent in advertising in each category - to newspapers, to all sections of the media.

"To find out as well if that was all spent, or if there was a residue.

"There's not a wealth of information on that area of unclaimed prizes," he added.

Main image: Split-screen image of Lotto balls (left) and Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan (right)