Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Item No. 20 on the Order Paper, the Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (No. 2) Bill 2011 Second Stage, relates to a constitutional amendment to prohibit and ban corporate donations to political parties. The Government voted down an earlier Bill which I introduced to the House, which was in line with all the recommendations of the Moriarty report and which was comprehensive in its remit. I call on the Taoiseach to give consideration to accepting this Bill into committee and to hold a genuine discussion on it. A referendum could be held on the same day as the presidential election if the Taoiseach were so disposed to accept it, given that it is the position of every political party to ban corporate donations outright. The Bill would achieve this and the Taoiseach should give constructive consideration to accepting the Bill in good spirit and to holding a detailed discussion about it.

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