Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On 8 February, when voters went to the polls, a large proportion of them voted for a new direction. They voted for a new direction in housing policy. They voted for universal healthcare. They voted for the age of retirement to be maintained at 65. Above all, they voted for change. Part of that change undoubtedly meant a break from the old, stale insider politics that defined successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments. Following the election, those two parties, rather than recognising the appetite for change, came together to deny it. Far from breaking with the practices of the past, from the golden circles and the revolving doors, the practices of the past have instead become the hallmark of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael present. From the appointment of judges to the refusal of Ministers to hold themselves accountable to this Dáil, from the backroom deals with the bankers, vultures and insurance industry, to the sideroom deals that see some lobbyists get confidential documents from the heart of Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are carrying on as they always carried out, but now they are doing it together and arguably more blatantly than ever. Tonight, we can see that in plain sight.

The Bill proposed by Deputies Mairéad Farrell and Pearse Doherty seeks to prevent a situation whereby Fine Gael Ministers of State at the Department of Finance can move seamlessly into lobbying roles for the bankers and vultures that they were supposed to regulate. It calls for a cooling-off period of just two years, hardly a punitive measure but vitally important if citizens are to have confidence that the decisions made by the Government are made in the public interest. In fact, this Bill provides for measures that the Standards in Public Office Commission has been calling for since 2003 in some instances. There have been several promises, pledges, considerations and reviews in the intervening years. The Government's response tonight is to have yet another review. It is not good enough. The Minister can try to obstruct and deny change and might even succeed for a while, but it will only be for a while, because the appetite for change has grown since February and will continue to grow every day until every revolving door has been shut and the rotten, shady, insider deals are brought to an end. I commend this Bill to the House.

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