Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Bill proposed by the Government will seriously reduce corporate donations. Banning corporate donations outright would invite a serious constitutional challenge. That is the legal advice that I have received. The last Government got the same advice, and whether it was dig outs or tents or whatever, it carried on regardless and now Deputy Martin is in here calling for such donations to be banned outright so that everybody should proceed on an even keel. The Bill will seriously impact on what went on before. It will bring transparency and accountability to this area and will deal with it for once and for all. I do not want to follow the Deputy's advice and see a constitutional challenge which will hold the thing up for years. This will go through very quickly.

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