Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

In 1991, my Socialist Party colleague, Deputy Joe Higgins, was elected to Dublin City Council. When he got there, he found a nest of vipers going to the local pub, Conway's, and getting brown paper bags in meetings with developers. This has been well documented. A quarter of a century later, what has really changed when we saw what was in the programme the other night?

The Taoiseach and the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party have expressed their shock. They are the only ones in the country who are shocked - the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, can take that as read. They also stated that these councillors brought the so-called body politic into disrepute. The body politic could not go any lower in repute among the public.

We are essentially talking here about members of the two big parties, plus one so-called Independent. I ask the Minister of State where were the swarms of gardaí conducting dawn raids on the homes of those three councillors the morning after that RTE programme? As for the idea that the parties are taking this seriously, all that was done was that a quiet word was had in the ears of those two councillors to resign from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael so as not to spread the rot. It seems that only public representatives who are opposed to measures such as water charges, austerity and war get arrested in this country and face possible imprisonment. The others, who are money-grabbing from their involvement in politics, walk free.

I also take issue with some comments on social media. This is not gombeen politicians getting small amounts of money. The amounts of money that we are talking about regarding the potential for corruption on local authorities is immense.

I spent 11 years on a council, and the rewards are large if one wants to be in the big parties, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, some independents and, occasionally, but less so, the Labour Party. Development plans and planning decisions mean big bucks, thousands and possibly millions of euro. Members of parties of big business, or some of the so-called independents, many of whom are from that general gene pool, money in brown envelopes for votes is the stock in trade.

One Deputy who spoke here said it was difficult for a Deputy to be corrupt and asked what a Deputy would get from it. As long as one is in a party that accepts donations from big business, the potential for corruption is obvious. Why do developers and big businesses give money to parties? Is it because they love democracy? They are not doing it for nothing but because votes will be taken in this Chamber on their behalf that benefit the banks and corporations, the Apples, Googles, Starbucks and all of them. A politician does not have to personally receive money. There is major corruption in here.

Why are councillors allowed to get work from a council to which they are elected? Why is a councillor who is elected to a council able to receive money from the council? Will this practice be banned in the legislation next week? It is obviously corrupt. Councillor Hugh McElvaney had a waste business and was doing council work. It is unbelievable. He was elected to represent the people. This had better be outlawed in the legislation next week. This is not the first time it has arisen. Councillors in Kerry County Council, some of whom were elected to the Dáil, did significant business with the council, and there are Deputies who are in the same boat.

What action will be taken against the councillors who, when they were filling in the disclosure forms which we all have filled in for 11 years, forgot that they owned a house, land or other property? Many of the councillors are working in businesses that have very close connections with councils, dealing in property and land. Will the parties of big business, including Fine Gael, ban councillors from accepting money from developers and big businesses? Will they ban Deputies and political parties from doing the same? Will they ban councillors from doing work with the councils of which they are members? Will they ensure councillors do not personally benefit from being elected? I do not think so. To the Anti-Austerity Alliance it is very important that we do not gain personally from being Deputies or councillors but take necessary expenses and live on an average wage. Corruption is alive and well. I do not have time to deal with it, however Siteserv shows that the idea that the few paltry laws the Government has introduced have dealt with it is completely wrong.

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