Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I have not seen such bad legislation since I first became a Member of the Seanad seven years ago. It is simply a grab for money from people's pockets. There is a special type of money in the dormant account funds. It comes from the accounts of people who have died and have not used their money. It also comes from insurance policies which remain dormant because the person who would have been entitled to the money has passed on. The money does not come from taxation but from the pockets of ordinary people.

It is a great deal of money. A total of €60 million will be disbursed this year. The Minister showed such confidence in the existing board that he doubled its allocation from €30 million to €60 million. It is right and proper that the Government should decide on a policy issue with regard to what areas of the community should benefit most. It is also right and proper that the Government would indicate that it wants a significant percentage to be spent in RAPID areas, which is most welcome, and on various types of disadvantage. The Government has clear and unambiguous access to policy decisions of the board. It dictates the principles on which the money is disbursed, which is only correct.

It is also correct that ADM Limited assess the applications made by the public. Its assessments go before the board and the board issues a press release, e-mail or fax about its disbursements. I have received an e-mail whenever the board makes its disbursements. The e-mail lists each organisation that benefits and under which category it is allocated the money. There is transparency in how the money is disbursed. There is also transparency about Government policy directing how the money should be disbursed. There is satisfaction in the community with this, particularly the communities that get the funds.

Deputy O'Connor spoke about communities in Tallaght waiting by the phone for a call about whether they got the grant. From whom do they await a call? Is it from Deputy O'Connor or from the dormant accounts board? The board disburses the money, clearly, transparently and openly. There should be no hanging around waiting for phone calls and no writing of letters or whatever people will indulge in after this Bill is passed. We should have a 21st century political system. There should be complete transparency and openness.

The fundamental change in this process is that the Minister and the Government have taken on themselves the power to finally decide to whom this money goes. That is wrong. It is, at the least, open to being perceived as a slush fund. The first person to refer to a slush fund in the context of the dormant accounts fund was our European Commissioner and former Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy. He said from the place in which the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, is sitting that to avoid any consideration that this was a slush fund, he was establishing the Dormant Accounts Disbursements Board. The Minister of State is now introducing legislation to make it a slush fund.

The communities which receive money from the fund are generally disadvantaged and need support. They are crying out for funding due to inadequate Government provisions. They need the money and support now and are happy with the system as it stands. Not one community of which I am aware has registered a complaint with the Department or board on disbursement procedures. The agenda is being set by the Minister of State and his associates and it is absolutely unacceptable.

I submitted a freedom of information request some months ago while I was still working in this area, which revealed no conflict, dissatisfaction, complaints or concerns about the transparency, openness and capacity of the organisation carrying out the work in question. There is no evidence in the Department's records of letters or e-mails demonstrating serious adverse comments on the manner in which the board has been doing its job. While the number of people on the board and the time they require to carry out their duties fully and satisfactorily are issues, there has never been a complaint or demand that their functions should be devolved to the political parties in power.

I saw no letter on behalf of a disadvantaged community asking the Government to communicate through its local Fianna Fáil or Progressive Democrats Deputy or Senator. No letter was written stating that a reply was awaited from a particular politician or asking that a Deputy or Senator call to a person's house to say whether money would be provided from the fund. Ministers, Ministers of State and Government Deputies and Senators will now trapeze around constituencies delivering cheques to the disadvantaged or disability groups with the greatest need for the money and the least need for a patronising approach by the Government.

In the 21st century politics change day by day. The people are not fools and will not be codded anymore by the Government's carry-on. They know what the Government is up to and will not wear it. When I open the newspapers to see Deputy X pirouette on the football field or Senator Y seeking publicity, I will say "Shame on the Minister of State and the Government for this despicable act". This is not the Government's money. It belongs to ordinary people and should be disbursed according to the proper, efficient, effective and transparent mechanisms which currently operate.

I do not know how the Minister of State has the gall to sit in the House and push through this legislation. The Government has reached its lowest ebb. While we will protest in the strongest possible way and make our points firmly to the Government, we know it has the votes to pass this Bill. The people will not forgive the Government. Moneys from the national lottery's sports fund were disbursed politically. According to information obtained under freedom of information procedures, the list of clubs to receive money in a certain county was rearranged to ensure that those closest to the Minister received the largest sums. I remember looking at the list and money was granted to clubs for buildings which were never even constructed. Such activities must stop now. The voluntary community is a pillar of our society and is entitled to be free of political patronage and the intent of the provisions of the Bill. There was no argument in the Minister of State's speech to support the Government's actions other than raw political expediency. I very much regret that the Government has sunk so desperately low.

It is not just the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, who are to blame. While responsibility for dormant accounts currently rests within their Department and specifically with the Minister of State, the Minister is losing his power in this area at the Cabinet table. Under the new system, all Ministers sitting around the Cabinet table will set out their targets and make gains for their local areas. Disbursements will be decided politically, which is wrong. There is no argument to support this approach. The Minister of State spoke about transparency, but it will only exist after the event. We will not see transparency until three months after the election is over when we will be told everything has been audited. While the cheques will have been delivered, hopefully the votes will not have been counted in the Government's favour. Ministers will decide in Cabinet with marginal constituencies should be provided with money to secure seats. The Government will attempt to ensure that certain communities have their needs satisfied by bringing them to the top of the list while forgetting about people with equal if not greater needs.

There is no better or fairer system than the current one to assess equality of need and measure applications objectively and transparently. I urge the Minister of State to change his mind even on this Stage and to have the humility to withdraw his Bill. That is what the public will insist on. We will tell people on the doorsteps in the by-election campaign in Meath and Kildare of the Government plans as they must know exactly what it is up to, and the Government will receive its answer there.

See this speech in context