Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)

I welcome that he is going to review all forms of political funding because it needs to decrease across the board. As part of that review I ask that he consider providing funding directly to Members. There is nothing in the Constitution on political parties. Power, authority and the democratic mandate are vested in each of us as Members of Dáil Éireann. I suggest that a healthier system would involve the allocation of money to individual Deputies and Senators and, if they then chose to be a member of the Labour Party or other party, it would be up to them to contribute a portion of their resources. The Constitution does not vest the democratic mandate in parties.

See this speech in context