Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

My maiden speech in this House in September 1997 was on the McCracken report and the foundation of the tribunal we are discussing today. At that time, cosúil leis na Teachtaí eile atá sa Teach anois, bhíomar lán de dhóchas agus an-bhródúil as a bheith anseo, taking our responsibilities from a very free, democratic first Dáil and taking on board our responsibilities to the electorate and those who had put their trust in us.

It was very clear to me then, as it is almost ten years later, that the duties and the way we discharge our duties, the way we perform our work and responsibilities and the obligations we have to our electorate are very legitimate topics for scrutiny by the public. What we have in the Moriarty tribunal is an indepth analysis of those responsibilities and duties of people in the past. It is critically important the public would continue to have confidence in us as Members of the Oireachtas, in the people whom they elect and in their Government. Because if they do not, then the cornerstone of democracy is shaken.

The McCracken report revealed to us for the first time payments that had been made to politicians and leaders which shocked all of us in this House. We probably did not realise ten years ago it would take ten years for us to get to this stage where we are talking about the report of the Moriarty tribunal, but these findings have proven the value of having set up that tribunal ten years ago. The findings for any one of us in this House are truly shocking because they show how public life has been let down, how the public has been let down and how I as a Minister and a member of Fianna Fáil have been let down by a former party leader and a former Taoiseach. What was found in that report was obviously a great tragedy for Mr. Haughey himself, a man who had great potential and did achieve so much, but it also highlighted the wrongs of tax evasion, of gifts received and the misuse of monetary donations. That has done not just himself but the whole of public life a terrible disservice.

In my job as Minister for Education and Science, I am trying to encourage young people to take an interest in the political process, in representative politics, for them to become involved in their communities and to be willing to become leaders in their own right and yet when they look to that report, unfortunately, they tar us all with the same brush. That is why it was critically important legislation and procedures were put in place in recent years to ensure we had the openness, accountability and transparency that is now required of us. The procedures now in place are very strict and rightly so. The demands on us are very strict and rightly so because we have to ensure our conduct is such that it maintains the integrity of this House. In so doing, we are maintaining the integrity of the democratic process.

If we do any of the things our former leaders were found to be doing by the Moriarty tribunal, then we will forfeit the respect of the people. Democracy is so crucial that we cannot afford to lose that respect. The Moriarty tribunal has done us all a great service, even if we did not like to hear of the findings and to read them. We have to make sure the procedures we put in place are protected and strengthened and the shadow that is cast on the entire public service and, unfortunately, on all of us as politicians, is something we can continue to lift to ensure people see us in a different and more positive light.

Even before we set up the tribunals it came to light that Ireland was not the only place where questions were being asked about standards in public life. In his report in 1995 to the British Parliament, Lord Nolan commented on standards in public life. The principles he used then as being required of people in public life and which underpin public life are just as relevant for Ireland. The seven principles he listed were selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. There is no doubt the investigations and the thorough work of Mr. Justice Michael Moriarty and his team have shown up serious deficiencies in a number, if not all of those principles. With that knowledge and with the regulatory framework that is now in place such as the taxation requirements etc., we have to make sure there is no further departure from those principles and that each of us as Members, who again will face the electorate this year, can proudly stand for those self-same principles. If one loses honesty, accountability or selflessness, one is doing a terrible disservice to the public who fought for our democracy and the right to vote for us and who believe in our ability to lead them. That is what leadership is all about.

We have evidence of a past leader who has let us down, as members of Fianna Fáil and Members of this House, and who has let the country down. The only way we can ensure the future respect of the people is for each of us to continue to maintain the highest of standards, not just because the rules, regulations and procedures require that of us, but because people have placed their trust in us. That is a trust we earn but we must also deserve to keep it because the honour bestowed on us should be transferred into making us honourable persons in public life. It is a great privilege to be here. I did not think I would be speaking on the very same topic I spoke on in my maiden speech ten years later. I sincerely hope I will not be talking about the same topic in ten years' time. I hope we can continue to maintain the respect of the people.

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