Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's comments. I believe all election expenditure should be transparent and in the public domain. Most of us do not have problems with donations because we do not get them and so disclosure is not an issue. I am speaking for myself and, I am sure, the vast majority of public representatives as well. We generally go into debt to try to fight elections.

I am sure any measures proposed by the Standards in Public Office Commission come from its experience in dealing with the new regimes that were implemented in the mid-1990s. I remember being in the House when that legislation was first introduced. There have been changes over the years. Any legislation can need change from the point of view of implementation. The people at the coalface who are implementing the legislation we lay down here can often pinpoint the lacunae or the different anomalies that may exist. If it tightens up the existing regulations and practices, I am sure it will be a welcome addition in dealing with election expenditure.

Am I correct in thinking funds raised abroad cannot be used legally here at election time? If the Minister of State does not have that information at her disposal, will she communicate it to me later? I understand a ban was imposed on the raising of funds outside the jurisdiction and using them for political purposes in the jurisdiction.

See this speech in context