Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

History will pass judgment on Mr. Haughey and his work. My father was a Fianna Fáil supporter and thought highly of Mr. Haughey because of certain things he did in his lifetime, particularly in respect of artists and writers. However, he would be very disappointed to read this report, as I was. I suppose the most salutary page to read is the one that reiterates the money he received time and time again. People gave him money and we do not know what happened to it, but we know he received it.

It shows that there was something rotten in Ireland at that time. We have not changed it fully. We have not changed corruption and the opportunity for corruption in significant ways, notwithstanding the changes that have been made with the Standards in Public Office Commission.

The most significant possibility for change is around the law governing rezoning and development plans. Other tribunals have shown that, time and time again, when councillors were about to make decisions on rezoning and development plans, they were visited on their doorsteps, not by people speaking on behalf of the public interest but those speaking on behalf of developers and landowners who pushed and made their way into those people's pockets with cash or cheques.

We must have more transparency about these times. When rezoning and new development plans are up for review, if any member of a local authority meets anybody about these plans, he or she should declare this. A simple register which, for example, could record that a councillor met Johnny Murphy from the residents' association who was making representations about specific rezoning issues or met Joe Murphy, a developer, in connection with his plans for 200 houses, would suffice. There is nothing wrong with discussing things in committees or in public and we should have this forum in a public place, namely, the local authority chamber and nowhere else.

Notwithstanding that, I understand that sometimes communities want to make their points to other people. If we have transparency, openness and accountability about those times and meetings through recording them and making it publicly known that they have taken place, this in itself will help change the system. It is a simple process that I believe will work and make public life more transparent and open when millions are made overnight as a result of councillors' decisions. It will allow us to know exactly who met these councillors, what they spoke about and what the issues were.

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