Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Taoiseach might need to clarify that because he says it is as far as he knows. I appreciate he may not have all the facts at his fingertips on that matter, I am simply putting the legal situation to him. This is not just about the Taoiseach, the Prevention of Corruption Act is much bigger than any activity the Taoiseach was ever involved in, it goes back much longer and will be there long after him.

Is the Taoiseach aware of the Transparency International report for 2006, a league table of perceptions of this country? When the Taoiseach entered office in 1997, we were in 12th place in the corruption perception index. The 2005 corruption perception index sees us slip to 19th place. There is work to be done to reverse that perception. Will the Taoiseach have a clear line, like that of the Green Party, on the unacceptability of any Oireachtas Member receiving gifts such as those the Taoiseach was given by prominent people, a line Mr. Justice McCracken has set down clearly? As well as doing what the Taoiseach plans, which goes some way along the line, will he end the acceptance of corporate donations and set spending limits on electioneering between elections? Will he show some leadership to his party, to Government and to other parties in this House that still continue to accept corporate donations?

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