Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister to the House. Fianna Fáil accepts that the Bill is a major step forward and is an improvement on the current position. It provides for lower donation limits and increased transparency but it does not go far enough. We would like corporate donations banned completely but we accept there may be constitutional issues which must be examined. That is why in the Bill we tabled last year, we provided for such low limits and restrictive practices that it all but got rid of them. We have tabled amendments to provide for an even more restrictive scheme than that provided for and to improve the legislation.

I agree strongly with Senator Bradford that by only looking at one side of the equation, we are missing the point because people can be independently wealthy and spend as much as they like on their campaign. The current regime only provides for limits on expenditure during campaigns. Candidates can spend as much as they like and they can rent out every bus shelter in the constituency in the week up to announcement of polling day. That issue also needs to be considered and I encourage the Minister to consider it.

I agree to some extent with Senator Keane in respect of posters. However, postering is important for new candidates who do not have a profile and who have not run previously because they need to increase awareness of their campaign. However, the number of posters used in elections is crazy. Candidates compete with each other for space and the posters cancel each other out when there are ten or more on a pole. I doubt anybody sees any of them. A small limit should be put on the number of posters that can be used. I encourage the Minister to examine the expenditure and postering issues. Legislation could be brought forward to address them, given that we are only examining one half of the problem today.