Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

There should, of course, be full transparency and accountability when it comes to any type of donation. With regard to the specifics of anonymous donations, in the current economic climate I do not imagine there are too many people in the country willing to donate to any individual politician or group anonymously. People would prefer for it to be known that they were giving funds provided they are in a position to do so.

I have one thing to say about the major political parties in respect of funding. They are unanimous about one thing when it comes to political funding for parties. They must admit that they have a great advantage over the Independent candidates in this House and the Independent councillors throughout the country. When it comes to election time Independents must fund and run their campaigns entirely on their own. In recent years, given the increasing cost of advertising and everything that goes with a campaign, including posters and so on, considerable expenditure is needed to run a successful election campaign. The major political parties are in agreement on one thing, that is, they would like to squeeze out the Independents if they could. Thankfully, the people in the various constituencies see the merit in holding on to Independents. Whether that will continue to be the case in future given the changes in the boundaries is a different tale.

Ultimately, behind all the moves under way throughout the country there is a major move to try to squeeze out and put down Independents because the political parties do not want Independents to be here. Ultimately, when it comes to funding, people should have the right to help out at election time by making donations, provided that it is all accounted for and that at the end of the election the candidate publicly discloses how much he got and where it came from. There is nothing wrong with that.

The political parties have so many other ways of fund-raising that Independents cannot avail of. Other advantages arise from being a member of a political party. Considering the way the whole thing is weighed up, it is a wonder that Independents are surviving, but thank God they are. I hope there will always be Independents in the House. They have served the country and the county councils well throughout the years and I hope they will continue to be here in the years ahead, in spite of what others in political parties would prefer.

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