Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many speakers referred to the belief or perception - some would call it a fact - of there being a cosy cartel between politics and developers, the insurance lobby and anybody who has connections to people in power. That perception is not helped by the situation concerning Mr. Justice Séamus Woulfe and the golfgate event. There is also the situation of the former Ministers of State at the Department of Finance, Brian Hayes and Michael D'Arcy. None of that helps in any way, shape or form.

I join colleagues in commending Deputies Mairéad Farrell and Doherty on bringing forward this Bill. There is no need for a review such as the Minister has proposed. The Bill makes provision for 13 of the 22 recommendations made by SIPO itself. Its purpose is to introduce necessary transparency and accountability. It could be said that the Government requires this legislation more than we on this side of the House do insofar as it needs to sell itself and address the perception that a cosy cartel is in operation. The requirement for a cooling-off period between situations where people have ministerial office with real power and sway and finding themselves on the other side of a lobbying operation is well supported. I could probably forgive a great deal of what goes on if we had a Government and State that was delivering for everybody in terms of the provision of housing, healthcare and all the wants and needs of people in this country. I might accept it if we could all get insurance at a decent cost instead of being absolutely crippled with it, if people were not paying huge rents and could afford mortgages, and if all the other issues were addressed.

That is accepting the particular situation we find ourselves in now as regards Covid-19, which, obviously, creates logistical difficulties. While I recognise that puts added pressure on the Government, it would be much better off dealing with this than dealing with the side issues on which it has caught itself up. In its attempt to protect itself, the Government would be far better putting its hands up and having the likes of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, coming in here and answering questions, and then we would get on with it. It is as simple as that.

We want the State to work. People want the State to work. They want it to work for them. In relation to that, I will commend when the State apparatus works. I commend what happened today in Dundalk, where the Criminal Assets Bureau along with local gardaí, on work started by the local drug squad, carried out a huge operation where they seized drugs and money, and there will be a follow-up. That is not an entire answer in relation to that but it is to be commended.

We need the Government to act. We need a fit-for-purpose situation. We need enforcement powers for SIPO. That is just it. This is simple and it could be done.

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