Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I remember it at the time being negotiated by Deputy Quinn and the rainbow coalition when in government. I have not seen such brazen affrontery since I read on a Fianna Fáil website that the party introduced the Electoral Act 1997 and that it was in favour of placing a ceiling on election expenditure and donations. That party kept the Bill, which I brought to the House, on Committee Stage for a year because it was bad law, according to both the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats spokespersons. Shortly afterwards it was not only good law but it was their law.

See this speech in context