David Norris (Independent)

I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this debate and I agree very much with what Senator Hayden has said. It is important that we encourage all of society to be represented at political levels. We do not want to go in the direction of the United States of America, where one has to be a millionaire to get into any kind of politics, and certainly to run for the presidency, although, as the Minister will know, it is getting rather like that in presidential elections here. It is odd that the number of us who ran as independent candidates in the presidential election found that even though we got more than 100,000 votes from Irish citizens we did not get a single cent in support from the taxpayer.

I am glad my good friend and colleague, Senator Cullinane, is here because I would not have liked to make this criticism in his absence. I do not agree with what I saw him saying, on the monitor earlier. It is against the principle of independence. He suggested that the funding of Independent Members and groups should be further restricted and that there should be stricter vouching and scrutinisation. The Minister agreed with alacrity and said he would be delighted to take up what was being said about the Independents and that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform would do this, that and the other. The Minister should not think this opinion is universally held. He knows, because he is a canny operator, that the entire political system is skewed against the participation of individuals and independents in the system. Every single party has been involved in this, including Sinn Féin.

I usually agree with Sinn Féin Members, because they are rather to the left and we need a leftie perspective in the country at present. The claim that they take the average industrial wage is hogwash. I do not care if they took nothing, because the taxpayer pays the full whack. They should not think they are fooling the taxpayers when they say they take only the average industrial wage. The people who pay should have a say. Sinn Féin squeezes them for the same amount of money as everyone else.

It is exceptionally difficult for any group, particularly marginalised groups, to be represented. It is an extraordinary thing to say, as Senator Hayden said, that women are a marginalised group. They are the only numerical majority that is seen as a minority-----