Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The opening submission of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties is very focused. It is in two parts. We are unlikely to comment much on the first part. We can take it as read there is support for the advancement of human rights being brought into the Act as a new, valid, charitable purpose for organisations. If there is a voice speaking against, I have yet to hear it. We are all supportive of it. I want to make mention of it.

As Deputy Donnelly did, I will play devil's advocate a little on the second part of the opening submission. I will use my own party as an example, although what I will say is true to a greater or lesser extent of all political parties. I am a member of the Green Party. We are a political party. We are not a charity and we should not be regarded as a charity. Mr. Herrick spoke about the difference in wording between a body being exclusively to promote a political cause versus being primarily to promote a political cause. The vast majority of members of the Green Party progressed from a background of environmental activism and they do not leave this at the door when they enter the party. The vast majority of members of the party, and the vast majority of the elected members of the party, are still involved in environmental activism to some extent. I do not know that I could say of the Green Party that we are exclusively to promote a political cause. We are certainly primarily to promote a political cause but I do not know whether all of our actions are exclusively directed towards a political end point in terms of electoral results. I guess I am playing devil's advocate from this point of view. Could I make the argument that we should be classified as a charity, based on the fact that while we are primarily focused on a political cause, we are not exclusively dedicated to promoting a political cause?

I am not for one second suggesting we should be treated as anything other than a political party, but I want to use this kind of devil's advocate's position to tease out the ICCL's wish to move from one definition to the other.