Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take less time, to allow Senator Boyhan in. We have dealt quite extensively with all the implications of the different tools within a campaign. Many of them become less significant when we have a ban on corporate donations because the potential for advertising to go the way of the United States of America is perhaps less important, although still significant.

The Minister has indicated, in writing, to all the general secretaries of different parties his desire to see greater transparency around the two jurisdictions on the island and the possibility of donations on one side that are not permitted on the other side. Are there any international examples of where political parties operate in different jurisdictions that have different rules as a result? Are there any models that would allow us or future parties to operate on both sides of the Border and at the same time provide transparency? We saw the case where €4 million was allowed to be donated on one side of the island but there is a €100 limit for a corporate donation on the other side of the island. I do not ask the witnesses to get into the political long grass in this but to keep it in the bigger picture.