Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

——or "Deputy O'Connor wishes to inform the public Shamrock Rovers 1 Bray Wanderers 2". I have a soft spot for Shamrock Rovers but I shout for Bray Wanderers.

In many respects this is straightforward legislation. However, nothing raises the heckles more or creates a mode of tension more than election time. I want to deal with some measures in the Bill such as the spending period of 50 to 60 days. I welcome the fact that there is a limit to expenditure. However, I find it difficult to comprehend why the Minister based the expenditure levels on population. He mentioned the number of electors in Drumlish in County Longford, that areas in central Dublin had a much higher figure and that places with a higher population would have a greater spend. Surely covering an electoral area such as Drumlish is far more expensive than covering Tallaght, which Deputy O'Connor represents. If there is to be a relationship it should be based on the geographical size of an area rather than the population. From our constituencies we all know that a populated area requires far fewer posters than a geographically spread area. The Minister should examine this between now and Committee Stage. I guarantee him that it would be far more expensive to cover the Drumlish electoral area than it will be to cover the Ringsend electoral area.

The second point I wish to make concerns the concept of returns to local authorities. The document mentions a period of 90 days, but I do not know if that is a little excessive. The longer one leaves things, the more difficult it is to get them in. Many local authorities have been very sloppy in taking returns from local councillors, be it electoral returns or their annual declaration of interest returns. A episode of "Prime Time" last year outlined the shortcomings of some local authorities. I would say that very few local authorities have an up to date register of interests. I urge the Department to make sure that officer appointed by the local authority is in place. My understanding is that it would be an understatement to say that they were sloppy.

Deputy Fleming mentioned that if a candidate over-spent under this legislation, then he or she may be barred from membership of a council. That seems to be a little harsh, but one of the biggest crimes in any election is when a candidate lies and gives misleading information, such as providing literature that claims that a certain Deputy or Minister calls on his constituents to vote for a particular candidate so that the party can obtain two seats. We do not have a system in place to censure such misinformation, which can have a positive or negative impact. We do not even have such a mechanism within parties. There is a general acceptance that this goes with the cut and thrust of politics, and that while it is difficult when we are going through it, when the game is over, all is fair in love and war. That is not acceptable. If somebody indulges in unethical practices during the campaign they should be censured.

We are familiar with the various anecdotes about candidates did and did not do in the past. I read American Pharaoh, the book about the late Mayor Daley. Reading about some of the stunts he pulled, one could see how his origins were in Ireland and in our political system. The stunts were masterful and it is worth reading the book to see what he did on occasion. He was very innovative.

I would also like to deal with related issues, such as the absence of local government reform. The Bill deals with spending, yet we have seen nothing about local government reform. We all know it is badly needed. If I sit into a taxi in Chicago, there is a number in the back seat that tells me to telephone the son of the famous Mayor Daley. If a light is not working, I can telephone a 1-800 number. It might seem trivial to talk about such a thing in the Dáil, but the hours politicians spend trying to get a public light fixed is nothing but a disgrace. It is a disgrace that it must be done in the first place, and it is a disgrace for being such a waste of time. We do not have a mechanism in place. I do not know how many telephone calls or letters are needed to do it. Why can we not have a system whereby the citizen can contact a 1-800 number so that something will then be done? I received a letter a few days ago from a local authority concerning a representation I had submitted on 7 April 2008. Reform of local government needs to be addressed.

Many local authorities received their bonuses this year. It will be interesting to see how many, as I believe that they should not have been paid such bonuses. We must grasp the nettle, and I hope that this Minister would bring in the concept of directly elected mayors. Within the official ranks, there is huge opposition to this. In a society where people are——

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