Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Most people in public life have come to the conclusion that corporate donations need to be curtailed. It is better to have a system of funding based on a large number of small donations from citizens, rather than a small number of large donations from big business. The Bill before us represents a conversion to that position by the Fianna Fáil Party after 14 years in office during which this issue was neither mentioned nor mooted. While I welcome its conversion, it is a form of hypocritical politics to which I do not subscribe.

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