Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

This amendment will provide for decreases as well as increases in Civil Service pay to be applied in future to the fund disbursed annually under the Electoral Acts to qualifying political parties. Part 3 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for payments to be made to qualifying political parties from the Central Fund. Given that changes are being made to section 17 of the Electoral Act 1997 to link payment to qualifying political parties to the achievement of a general balance in the candidate selection, I am taking this opportunity to introduce a further amendment which I believe is in order.

Section 17(2)(b)(i) of that Act provides that the amount to be disbursed to qualifying parties should be linked to a general increase in remuneration. There is no scope to apply a decrease in Civil Service pay to the fund. Providing for an upward-only change in Exchequer funding to political parties is anomalous in the context of prevailing economic conditions and recent trends in public sector pay. This matter was raised through an amendment by Deputy Catherine Murphy on Committee Stage in the Dáil during the passage of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011 in July 2011.

I did not accept the amendment at the time but I undertook to give it further consideration in consultation with Government colleagues during the preparation of this Bill. Having given the matter consideration, the amendment is now being brought forward as part of this Bill. The effect of the amendment will be to enable any future general decreases as well as increases in Civil Service pay to be applied to the fund. However, the decreases that have occurred since 2008 will not be retrospectively implemented.