Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister said, the Bill is important and we agree it must provide for the repeal of the bankruptcy disqualification for election to the Dáil and the European Parliament. While the disqualification has been in place and served the State reasonably well since 1923, it came, as the Minister said, from the Westminster administration. The disqualification was removed for local elections in 1974 and it needs to be revisited. Recent years have provided for a mechanism whereby many members of the public who have gone through the process during the downturn have gained much experience, if nothing else, of the difficulties and perils of business life, let alone home life. If offers them an opportunity to put in practice rectification measures in the manner in which they would become part of the legislative process. There should be no bar on a person going before the public and seeking approval for his or her candidacy. A bar of this nature, especially in the present circumstances and considering our most recent past in this economy, allows us the opportunity to examine that legislation in a new light.

I join with the Minister and the Government in seeking to create and amend legislation to allow members of the public of all backgrounds, persuasions and hues the opportunity, in the first instance, to put their names before the electorate. The ultimate responsibility will lie with the public to elect those they see fit, who they feel have the life experiences and relevant qualifications to be what they want them to be in our Dáil, namely, parliamentarians of whom they can be proud and who they feel will enact legislation which reflects the times in which we live and the difficulties of our economy for various businesses. There should be no bar based on candidates' financial predicaments immediately prior to an election. I hope all parties will see the legislation in that light and against that background. I hope that, where they see fit, they will promote the thrust of the legislation. Proceedings are being taken by members of the public regarding the existing laws on this.

It is therefore a timely move by the Government to seek to enact legislation so candidates will be given enough time to lead into the most immediate elections facing us.

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