Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this very important debate. It would be very easy for many Members to cower and not participate. It is important that we contribute not just to the debate but to restoring the body politic to the people. I am conscious that this report paints those in power and those involved in the granting of the second mobile telephone licence in a very poor light. However, I am confident, given the speeches I heard yesterday and today from the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, that the new Government will show leadership, act on the recommendations of the report and that this will form the basis, as the Taoiseach said yesterday, of the rebuilding of the new Republic. That is what people seek and desire in their political representatives - that they act for the common good, for people, and serve not only the few but all the people.

I am particularly pleased that the programme for Government contains a strong reform element. Apart from creating jobs, If the members of Cabinet do nothing else for the next five years but bring about meaningful political reform, they will have done the State a great service.

I pay tribute to Mr. Justice Moriarty and his staff for the publication of the report and thank them for their work. It is important that this report is published. It is important that we have deliberations on this report. No matter how unpalatable, no matter how difficult for people to read or to see, it is important that arising from today we rebuild the trust with people.

The speeches this morning of the Ministers, Deputies Rabbitte and Bruton, were honest. I listened to Deputy Bruton's reply. He was a member of that Government. I know the Fine Gael members of that Government and they are decent, honest people, and so are its members of the Labour Party. The tribunal report exonerates the members of the Cabinet for their role in this.

It is important that we pause and reflect, and act upon the report. Deputy Calleary made a good speech in which he mentioned the Abbeylara judgment. We must learn from the past and put the lessons into practice. If we do not reflect and act upon it, this report will have been a waste of time. God knows, it cost a great deal of money.

The tribunal's costs and duration were too great. That is my personal viewpoint as somebody who does not have a legal mind and who was not involved in politics as an elected representative until 2004. Something is not right when it takes 14 years or more for a tribunal report or others to come out into the public domain. There must be commonality. We must change the practice of the tribunals in taking this amount of time at an exorbitant cost to the taxpayer, an gnáth duine - the ordinary person footing the bill.

The Taoiseach spoke in the House yesterday of the costs of the tribunals. The cost is mind-boggling as was the delay. This should not have taken 14 years. It cannot be allowed to be repeated. We must take on board the views of all Members of the House and people outside the House in establishing a new type of tribunal where it will not take 14 years to publish a report.

This report presents an opportunity for us, as practising politicians, to reform how we do our business. The Evening Echo, in its editorial on Friday last, stated that the shocking fact is that the cost of the legal bills associated with the inquiry now stands at €45 million, that the taxpayer has paid for all of this and that this is something that must not be allowed recur. That is why it is important to seek common ground in ensuring that we do not come to this place again.

This report provides an opportunity for reform. Calls for political reform is what we heard on the doorsteps, from Cavan-Monaghan to Mayo, Louth, Dublin and Cork, in campaigning for the last general election. Deputy Calleary is right that all politicians are not the same. Not all take money from developers or from persons who want to influence Government decisions. We must stand up for ourselves as politicians, in that we are here to serve, and do the will of, the people.

I know most of the Members of this House and we all are decent and genuine, trying to do what is best for the people. That is why it is important that the commitment of the Government to ban corporate donations is fulfilled immediately. We must break the link between big business and government. The powerful elite cannot be allowed rule the roost and cannot be in cahoots with politicians anymore. We must learn from the past. We must move forward together to ensure that we do not revisit this type of scenario again. Otherwise, we will have failed the people who put is in here. The duty of the Government is to change the culture and ethos of the past and to learn from the mistakes.

I am mindful of the words of Edmund Burke, "The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse." I hope that those who are vested with the seals of office in Cabinet today will not abuse the power and trust that they have been given by the people and will work day and night to serve the good of the people.

The people demand change. They seek reform and accountability. They want a new style of politics and of corporate governance in business and in the banking institutions. There has been a clear breakdown in society over the past two decades - be it in the church, in politics and in business. None of us in this House today should be embroiled in this scandal. I very much regret that my political party is mentioned in this report but I am extremely conscious that the report is quite clear - I am sorry Deputy Broughan has left the Chamber - in Chapter 62.04, regarding the donation from Telenor. It states: "That donation was unwelcome to the party, and was rejected by the party leader." The report further states:

the Tribunal is satisfied that he [former Taoiseach John Bruton] sought to convey to Mr. Austin that acceptance of the donation was then entirely inappropriate.

The cheque was handed back, the then leader of Fine Gael, the Minister, Deputy Noonan, handed the file to the tribunal and my party took action against Deputy Lowry, removing him from Government and removing from the party of which he was a member, Fine Gael.

I compliment the Taoiseach for his leadership since the publication of the report and for handing the file to the relevant authorities. It is time action was taken, if it is necessary. The Government has committed to bringing about political reform and it cannot be merely a mantra. Those of us who are new to this House and to politics are conscious that the people want us to be proactive on political reform. Reform must come, be it in the shape of the banning of political donations, the registering of lobbyists, or a reduction in the number of TDs.

We cannot allow a situation to develop that will lead us back here with another report similar to what we have today. We must move collectively to ensure that. This is not - to borrow Deputy Martin's remarks - a Punch and Judy show. We are here, restoring trust and confidence in the body politic and that needs decisive and swift action. Does the Fianna Fáil Party share the commitment of the Government to ban corporate donations? Unless it does, it is not moving forward with us.

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