Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to tonight's debate on this important issue. It is fair to say that as political practitioners we all know our fair share about fund-raising. It is important the debate this evening and tomorrow evening is held in a constructive manner. We must impress upon the wider public at every available opportunity that politics and the practice of politics and funding of political parties is necessary. Political parties and campaigns do not run on fresh air. However, we must in this regard try to achieve a balance which will reinstate confidence in the profession of politics which has, during the past number of years, taken a severe denting. We all partake from time to time in exercises with the various third level institutions and in other forms of research. Often the focus of questionnaires circulated to us by the institutions and other researchers focus on the standing of politicians, politics and political parties. We need to ensure a collective approach on this issue within the House.

I have been a Member of this House since 2007. I believe too often a partisan approach is taken on issues common to all of us. With the exception of the Independents, all Members of this House are members of political parties of one shade or another. As I said earlier, it is fact of life that political parties must fund-raise. If we are to have active and interactive politics the profession must be put on a sustainable footing, while ensuring the public remains confident everything is being done in a proper manner.

Deputy Martin in proposing the Second Stage reading of this Bill referred to the Moriarty tribunal. It behoves all of us in this House to take seriously Mr. Justice Moriarty's recommendations. The Moriarty tribunal sat for many years, culminating in the recently published report which was debated at length in this House a few weeks ago. Given the number of years for which the tribunal sat, the detail of what was investigated and how the tribunal went about its business in following the money trail, we must take seriously Mr. Justice Moriarty's recommendations. Whether through the Bill before us or by way of other legislation, these recommendations must be implemented. The wider public expects that. There has been fair criticism of the tribunals in terms of the length of time taken to come to their recommendations. However, cost and time aside, it behoves all of us to act.

There has been too much populism and political point scoring in this House down through the years in regard to the Galway tent, Punchestown or, in respect of the Labour Party, trade union alignment. There is in place legislation which provides for the accounting and recording of moneys of particular events. The fact is that all political parties and candidates engage in fund-raising exercises and activities. However, we must ensure a common approach in terms of how we go about this, which is seen to be, and is, above board and must do so in a fair and balanced manner. In this regard, we need to consider broadening the base of political financial support. The recent Obama campaign included the targeting of a large number of people to donate one or two dollars, thus allowing people to take ownership of their political parties for a small fee, which is a good way to get involved. It is better for parties to do this rather than being seen to be aligned to big business.

All political parties have operated various fund-raising mechanisms down through the years, regardless of whether one believed them to be right or wrong. Aligned to whatever legislation is introduced must be a code of practice. I do not wish to engage in political point scoring but I recall a friend of mine who is a Fianna Fáil councillor in business in the southern half of the country receiving a letter from a fund-raiser in the Labour Party, who is now a Minister. It was a cold calling letter sent to him because he was on a register of business directories. Is it right that my party or any other can spray correspondence in all directions seeking support because they may, according to opinion polls, be the next parties in Government?

Constitutional issues arise and as such we will have to hold a referendum to provide for a complete ban on corporate donations. It will be important that a commonsense approach is taken to this matter. In the absence of a referendum and anything that cannot be legislated for, all political parties should consider signing up to a code of practice. This idea could be first discussed by the party Whips.

The Bill seeks greater involvement of SIPO relating to corporate donations, which I support. The notion of companies who intend donating having to apply to go on a register of potential donors for political purposes is a good idea. Too often, there has been hard evidence and anecdotal evidence that companies donate to individuals and political parties to gain competitive advantage. From that point of view, I support the Bill. I welcome its timely publication and ask that the Government parties take cognisance of it and expedite it. We are at a crossroads in this country. We have moved on from the election and this is a new start for everybody, including the Government. The people rightly want us to take whatever measures are within our ability to promote and re-instill confidence in the political system. I believe that is paramount.

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