Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 3, line 25, to delete “€64,368” and substitute “€57,931.20”.

I raised the matter to which these amendments relate on Second Stage. I hope the Minister will be able to support what I am seeking to do. I am moving in the same direction as he is in respect of this issue. He has expressed sentiments to the effect that he wants to reduce State funding of politics during periods of recession. One of the things the Bill does, which I support, is to reduce the leaders' allowance by 10%. The other major source of funding for political parties is the Exchequer. I do not know the exact amount of such funding but it is significantly greater than that which comes in the form of the leaders' allowance. These amendments propose to do in respect of Exchequer funding exactly what the Bill does in respect of the leaders' allowance. I do not need to state the reasons for what I propose because the Minister outlined them very well on Second Stage in the context of the need to reduce political funding.
The amendments, if accepted, will lead to Exchequer funding to political parties being reduced by 10%, which is exactly the same as the reduction being introduced in respect of the leaders' allowance. If we assume that Exchequer funding amounts to approximately €7 million per year-----