Dáil debates

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

4:00 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Last Tuesday, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, spoke to the media about legislation on political donations, an issue on which the Taoiseach has promised legislation and which is the subject of Fianna Fáil motion No. 26 on the Order Paper. The Minister made a series of claims for the Bill but did not publish it so we are not in a position to examine it in detail. If this Bill is to be law before the presidential election it must be passed within six weeks at the latest. Given the Government has promised significant intervals between different stages of legislation in my view it is no longer possible to have the Bill passed in time for the start of the presidential election campaign. When the Taoiseach voted down our Private Members' Bill on political donations in April he gave a commitment that the reduced donations limit would be in operation before the presidential election. However, because of the ban on retrospective legislation, this is not possible. When will the House see the Bill? I ask the Taoiseach to outline the exact timetable for its passage.

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