Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise to speak in favour of the Minister's amendment to this Private Members' Bill. Before I do so, I commend Deputy Mairéad Farrell on presenting her first Bill. It is something that I hope to do in due course. It is not exactly Deputy Doherty's first Bill but I extend that to him.

I was struck by Deputy Farrell's earlier contention in a Sinn Féin press release that Fine Gael and this Government have done nothing in this area. I remind the House that it was indeed a Fine Gael-led Government that introduced the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 that is in operation now, an Act that I am quite familiar with as someone who used to give courses and lectures on this for another institution, before I was in elected politics or indeed in this House. As part of that, it was a Fine Gael Government that established a lobbyist register which is seen as the best model across Europe and has been copied by many member states of the European Union.

We do not need to take lectures on such matters from Sinn Féin. The irony of Sinn Féin of all parties prematurely introducing this Bill should not be lost on anyone. The political opportunism is richly on display. Why is Sinn Féin so vociferous about pushing this Bill while it is so weak on it in Northern Ireland, where it opposed the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill? Why did Sinn Féin introduce legislation similar to this in Northern Ireland in 2017 but suddenly withdraw it? Why is Sinn Féin parading itself as the champion of transparency and public standards in Dublin when the opposite is true in Northern Ireland?

However, such political duplicity from Sinn Féin when it suits it is nothing new. We still need to know who William Hampton was. Why did he leave Sinn Féin €4 million for political use in the Republic and where is Sinn Féin's justification for bypassing this State's donation laws by funnelling that money through its Northern office? Can Sinn Féin Members, in their remarks after this, confirm why they have not declared the use of Northern resources to pay for online advertising targeting Border counties such as Monaghan and Louth to SIPO?

There is a murky history of political financing across this island. Fine Gael has proactively done something to end this scourge through the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012, which places strict donation limits on individuals and corporate entities, as well as requiring registration with SIPO. What is the real purpose of tonight's Private Members' business? Is it really to implement reform and improve our political system or is it yet another opportunity for Sinn Féin to score cheap political points, while stonewalling on its own shortcomings where it is in power on this island? I commend the Minister's amendment and the continuing approach of this Government to review and improve this legislation as appropriate.

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