Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this Bill. There are two key areas of reform. First, there is to be a further limitation and greater disclosure of political donations to reduce influence over political parties. Second, the promotion of greater gender parity in politics will be attempted through amending the rules of political funding.

Today's Bill will provide that corporate donations of more than €200 will not be allowed unless the person meets strict conditions. First, the person will have to provide details of memberships and shareholdings, and will have to provide each year copies of accounts and annual reports to the Standards in Public Office Commission. These details will be included on a register to be published on the commission's website. Each donation will have to be approved by the general meeting of the members of the corporation or body. These provisions will apply to non-governmental organisations such as trade unions, companies, partnerships, co-operatives, societies, charitable organisations, building societies, clubs, associations and any other unincorporated bodies of persons.

The citizens of our country have a right to know how our political system and political parties are funded. We all know that corporate donations need to be restricted. It is better to have a large number of small donations, rather than a small number of large donations from a big business, which this Bill sets out to achieve. Donations to political parties will fall form €6,348 to €2,500. For a candidate or elected representative, the limit will fall from €2,539 to €1,000.

The programme for Government has made it clear that the role of corporate political donations in Irish politics must be curtailed. We must restrict the influence of corporate donors. In the past, we have had a close relationship between politics and business. For example, the Moriarty and McCracken tribunals investigated payments to politicians.

Citizens ask me what is a donation. A donation is defined in the Electoral Act 1997 as follows:

...any contribution given for political purposes by any person, whether or not the person is a member of a political party. This includes a donation of money, property or goods, conferring the right to use any properly or goods, the supply of services without payment or other considerations of it, the difference between the commercial price and the price charged for the purchase, acquisition or use of property or goods, or the supply of any service where the price, fee or other consideration is less than the commercial price...a contribution made by a person to a fund-raising event...the donation is the part which attributed to the net profit deriving from the event.

Only donations for political purposes are covered by this Act.

The Bill also proposes to amend section 17 of the Electoral Act to use the existing public funding of political parties in Ireland to promote a greater gender balance in the Dáil. As an incentive to encourage the selection of a greater number of women candidates, the new legislation includes a provision that political parties will face a cut of half their State funding if they do not have at least 30% women and 30% men candidates at the next general election. At present, 15% of Members of this House are women. The quota for 2016 is 30% and 40% for 2021.

There are currently 25 female TDs, which is just more than 15% of the total in Dáil Éireann. This is the highest percentage ever achieved. At the general election held in February 2011, 86 of the 566 candidates who sought election were women, representing 15.19% of the total. Prior to 2011, the level of female representation in Dáil Éireann never exceeded 14%. The average across parliaments in Europe is 24%. However, women account for approximately 50% of the population of Ireland.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the great Jim Stynes, who was a good Gaelic footballer in Dublin and represented the country in Australia. I also commend this Bill to the House.

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