Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018 is framed around measures arising from the Mahon tribunal, which attempt to eradicate from the political system any hint of corruption, cronyism or favouritism and to bring us up to a clear, transparent standard in politics. The Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPOC, is the body that requires us to adhere to standards and ethics, including financial standards. It found a very serious failure by a Fine Gael councillor in Mayo. He did not reach those standards, yet last weekend the same councillor was nominated to run for the local elections at a convention in Mayo. There is either a gap in the legislation or there is a problem in Fine Gael when someone fails the ethical standards of the State and the party returns him without any question to represent the constituency in Mayo. Councillor Cyril Burke was clearly found by SIPOC to be in breach of the standards of ethics in public office. What does Fine Gael have to say about it? What does the Government have to say about it? More importantly, from a legislative point of view-----

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