Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen. Deputy Cuffe's Adjournment matter calls for the scope and remit of the Standards in Public Office Commission to be extended. As the House is aware, the Standards in Public Office Commission has extensive powers to investigate matters under the provisions of the relevant legislation, in particular, sections 4 and 7 of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001.

There are no plans at present to extend the scope and remit of these powers of investigation. In the course of Deputy Cuffe's contribution I did not hear any concrete proposal as to how they should be extended. The operation of the Act and any representations in regard to its scope and remit, are kept under review at the Department of Finance, subject at all times to the independence of the Standards in Public Office Commission in the exercise of its functions.

I note that the Deputy has not made any specific proposal about the scope and remit of the Act — only a general aspiration that it should be extended. The Minister for Finance will certainly consider any specific proposals that might be made but there is no indication available to him that the existing legislation does not provide adequate powers for the commission in this regard.

In summary, there is no specific indication that the scope and remit of the Standards in Public Office Commission require extension. However, this is relatively recent legislation and a relatively new statutory body. In monitoring the commission's operations, the Department will be receptive to suggestions, including suggestions from the commission itself as to how its operations and effectiveness might be improved.

Deputy Cuffe raised a number of matters concerning the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen. I must point out to Deputy Cuffe, however, that these matters have been canvassed extensively in the Quigley report. Many of the questions Deputy Cuffe has raised were dealt with and answered by Mr. Quigley in his report, which was requested by the Taoiseach and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas some time ago.

As regards the other matters to which the Deputy referred, he can elicit the information in the normal way through tabling parliamentary questions.

Deputy Cuffe raised one other matter fundamental to the operation of democracy here — that is, his suggestion that persons who are not public servants should be precluded from engaging in political activities. I certainly do not agree with that. It is yet another example of the tendency of the Green Party to try to manufacture a political stage that will only convenience them, and to say that everyone else should get off the stage.

See this speech in context