Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I have already said that expenses and allowances should be vouched, and it is correct to say that if political parties receive public funding and they do not have to present vouchers, then the requirement should be that any public funding has to be vouched. In other words, independent politicians should be treated the same as political parties. Sauce for the flock of geese must be sauce for the individual gander. Senator Norris is right in that respect.

Let us not be distracted from the point raised by Senator Bradford. If people are taking money as a salary from the State and are giving it disproportionately back to their political parties, there may be an impropriety, unless it is as Senator Cullinane described. For the avoidance of doubt, perhaps the Minister may want to nail down the issue with an amendment on Report Stage to make it clear that any such funding back to a political party would be inappropriate and unlawful. A political party is not a recognised charity and an elected politician should not use public money received as a salary any differently than a corporate or private donor should use it. It should be subject to the same limits of donation. That applies whether what the politician is giving is in kind, by way of funding a political office, or whether the politician is handing over cash or making out a cheque from a proportion of his or her salary.

A very interesting issue has been raised by Senator Bradford. He clearly has been ruminating on these issues for a long time. I will not make that joke.