Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Contributions of this nature confirm that the Government parties do not have the merest understanding of this issue. As far as they are concerned, they do not have to detain themselves with examining their own record. They think ethics should concern other people. Who can forget the attack made by the Minister, Deputy Shatter, on journalists who had the temerity to ask why he was appointing a donor to a senior State position? During Leaders' Questions yesterday, the Government was challenged on behaviour worse than anything it had previously condemned. Its response was to shout down its opponents and shut down debate.

I have spoken at length in this House and elsewhere about past serious failings in my party in the area of fundraising. I intend to introduce further voluntary reforms as part of our reform of our rules. I will respond quickly and without equivocation to the findings of the Mahon tribunal when they are published. In contrast, we have never heard a single Deputy from another party willing to admit any failings in his or her party's history of fundraising. Justice Moriarty produced a detailed report which found that tens of thousands of euro were spent on targeting Fine Gael to get its assistance in winning a valuable State licence. Not one member of Fine Gael has been willing to acknowledge that evidence. Similarly, Fine Gael has failed to acknowledge how much of the Mahon tribunal relates to its councillors. For Fine Gael, accountability is for other people.

There are two differences between Fine Gael's fundraisers at the K Club and in Cricklewood and the Galway tent it loves to mention so frequently. First, the Galway tent stopped four years ago. Second, journalists could see who was there. It takes some neck for Fine Gael Ministers to talk about developers while raising funds from the same people. One of the first things the Taoiseach did when he became leader of Fine Gael nine years ago was to reintroduce corporate donations. Every time I raise the need to implement the promised ban on corporate donations, the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, takes the lead in heckling me. He generally says that I have a nerve to raise the issue. It never ceases to amaze me that he and the Tánaiste believe no one has the right to ask about the fundraising histories of their parties. The Tánaiste claims not to remember the name of his first party. He cannot deny the overwhelming evidence of massive illegal fundraising, including robbery and counterfeiting, that was used to fund that party for nearly 20 years.

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