Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

I wish to share time with Deputy Joan Collins. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and to comment on some matters raised during the course of the debate. I welcome the provision in the Bill whereby by-elections will take place within six months of the vacancy arising. We are agreed the situation was completely unacceptable and almost anti-democratic, especially the almost two-year delay in the case of Donegal South-West by-election and the almost year-long delay before the by-elections in Waterford and Dublin South were held. The six-month period is correct.

I do not understand the reason the previous Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government had allowed this matter to go to the courts for adjudication. Deputy Doherty won that court case but I do not understand why an appeal was lodged nor do I understand why the current Government appears to be continuing that appeal. I am assuming that once this Bill is passed, the appeal will be withdrawn.

The proposals for the spending limits for the presidential election are welcome but whether they go far enough is a matter for debate. I would like to see a further reduction in the limits. The Minister should have taken the opportunity to include proposals for spending limits in other elections, in particular, Dáil elections. There is room for significant reductions in spending on general elections. The very narrow timescale included for election expenditure from the date of the announcement of the election to the election day is much too short a timescale. Other spending through the course of the previous 12 months should be included in election expenditure. It is quite clear there is much expenditure in the period before the election which should be regarded as election expenditure.

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