Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 6, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following:

"PART 2AMENDMENT OF ELECTORAL ACT 1992

3.—Section 25 (amended by section 11 of the Act of 2001) of the Act of 1992 is amended—

(a) in subsection (7)—

(i) by substituting the following paragraphs for paragraphs (f) and (g):

"(f) where the party is registered as organised to contest elections in a specified part of the State, a reference to that fact and to the part of the State concerned,

(g) the name of any political group in accordance with subsection (8), and",

and

(ii) by inserting the following new paragraph after paragraph (g):

"(h) the name and address of each accounting unit of the political party and the name and address of the responsible person or persons of the accounting unit.",

and

(b) by inserting the following new subsection after subsection (9):

"(10) In this section and section 25A 'accounting unit' and 'responsible person' have the same meaning as they have in section 22 of the Electoral Act 1997.".".

Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 seek to make the organisation and structure of political parties more transparent by requiring the information on what are called the accounting units of parties, that is, the local branches, to be included in the register of political parties. This information will then be made publicly available.

I am bringing forward 33 amendments, 31 of which address certain recommendations of the Mahon tribunal in regard to the financing of politics. This is a sign of the Government's commitment to respond robustly and swiftly to the uncomfortable truths contained in that report. I indicated in the House on 27 March that my Department was reviewing the recommendations made in the tribunal report with a view to facilitating early Government consideration of the need to bring forward amendments to this Bill. Although anxious to ensure the legislation would be enacted as soon as possible, I undertook to examine those recommendations that were relevant to the Bill and amenable to being implemented by way of amendment. The amendments I am presenting today represent the outcome of that consideration.

The proposals I have made will make it an offence to give a political donation on behalf of another person without informing the recipient of the identity of the donor. Donation declaration statements will have to include additional information on the sources of donations and how they were received and recorded by the recipient. I propose to reduce the threshold for anonymous donations from IR£100 to €100. Consequent to this amendment, the threshold will be reduced to €100 for opening a political donations account for the registration of a third party with the Standards in Public Office Commission and in the definitions of political party accounting units and third parties. Individual cash donations in excess of €200 will be banned. We will get to all of these amendments in due course.

Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 seek to address the following recommendation of the Mahon tribunal: "Political parties should be required to supply details of their organisational structure, including their subsidiary organisations and branches, as a condition of registration under the Electoral Act 1992". They will ensure there is greater transparency in regard to the organisational structure of political parties.

See this speech in context