Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It seems as if we held a discussion in this and other forums on the definition of a friend, what loans or gifts friends gave and how they were to be repaid, but this is not the point of my question. From the information the Taoiseach has with him, does he know how many Ministers or Ministers of State have declared gifts or loans valued above the standard rate of €2,000 in recent years?

When the Taoiseach was the Minister for Finance, he refused to allow the Standards in Public Office Commission to initiate an inquiry where it believed sufficient public interest required one. He made the point that this would not be in the interests of a person who might be investigated. However, the most important thing would be for that person to be vindicated. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether the Standards in Public Office Commission is capable of good judgment and that it would only initiate an agreement if such action was warranted? Does he intend to change that aspect of the legislation?

The Standards in Public Office Commission has stated that there is no provision to allow third parties to clear spending on referenda or any other campaigns in advance with it and that no third party did so before the most recent campaign. The Taoiseach and I are both of the view that this is an important matter. Is it intended to change the aspect of the legislation relating to this matter? Persons or organisations which involve themselves in election or referenda campaigns should, under law, be obliged to declare the sources from which income above a certain level is received.

See this speech in context