Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It makes a great deal of sense to pool the money allocated for research, press offices and so on but I do not understand why the Minister said the electorate votes for parties under the PR system. This is not true because many people vote across party lines. There were 17 candidates in my constituency the last time and electors could ignore the party system and vote along personal lines. That happens at every election and, therefore, people vote for a series of people who go before them and not for a party. The logic is that the money should follow the Member. If somebody dies, the funding will cease under the legislation. I refer to the notion that this could not be done because it might have had negative repercussions for those employed by Members.

The reality is that the money can change halfway through and all of us have to employ people on contracts providing that the job ceases if the money is no longer available. As there is no guarantee as to how long a Dáil lasts, every party leader's contract with his or her staff provides for a sudden termination in the event that the money dries up when an election is called and a Member is not returned. The arguments in this regard are ridiculous. There should be one rate for Opposition Deputies and a lesser rate for Government Deputies. Ministers do not need this money at all because they are well looked after. The money should follow the Member and if it is signed into a party fund it should remain there until such time as the Member ceases to be a member of that party. If he or she becomes an Independent Member, the money should follow. That would be a fair and equitable system. If a voluntary organisation lost half of its members, it would not expect to receive their subscriptions on a certain day in five years time. People would be screaming that it was not democratic or accountable. Further debate is needed on the provisions of this Bill and I hope there will be genuine engagement on Committee Stage with a view to developing a system that is fairer and more equitable.

It has become fashionable to cut the financial supports we need to do our job. If we do not have a well resourced Oireachtas we, who are trying to hold the Government to account, will not have the resources and back-up we need to carry out research on legislation and other issues or to make meaningful contributions. I do not go along with the idea that there should be further cuts to resources for operating this House. For example, the support given to committees by the Library and Research Service is vital. The idea that the Oireachtas could hold the Executive to account without adequate resources is penny wise and pound foolish.

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