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

We do it because it is legal. That is what Deputy McAuliffe is so antagonised about. Fianna Fáil was exposed as breaking the law in the fundraising activities it engaged in last year. Of course it is legitimate for political parties to raise money through legal means and of course it is legitimate for people to support a political party they share the views and beliefs of. All of that is entirely legitimate. The difficulties in Irish politics and the fundamental problems that we face to this day with how our housing crisis, health system, public services, the privatisation agenda and so on are managed have their roots in the past, with the scandals relating to The Irish Press, the sweepstakes, the Galway tents, the money going into wives' bank accounts and the countless tribunals.

Some Fianna Fáil representatives have been keen to talk about historical matters this week. Any one of those issues is open for discussion, but this is about the here and now. It is about the amendment that has been tabled for one reason alone. As Deputy Doherty rightly stated, Fianna Fáil decided to run a national draw in the spring of last year. It raised €500,000 through that draw. In the autumn, it decided to try to raise another €500,000 until the proposed action for a second draw was exposed as being illegal. Fianna Fáil had to throw the tickets in the bin and refund the money that had already been collected because it knew that if the matter had been brought to court, it would have lost.

There is a question which has not been answered and which Deputy McAuliffe did not refer to at all. It will be incumbent on the Minister of State to respond to the questions that have been posed. It is a legitimate question, because it is an absolute fact that Fianna Fáil raised €500,000 last year through illicit means. Regardless of what the law says next week, next month or next year, that was the law at the time. Where has that money gone? Was it passed on to a charity in line with the legislation, which would provide some ameliorating circumstances that Fianna Fáil could rely on? Did it simply go into the coffers of Fianna Fáil? Deputy McAuliffe said we are uncomfortable talking about issues relating to fundraising in the USA or the mechanisms in place in the North. I have answered countless questions in respect of those issues on different occasions, on radio programmes, on doorsteps and outside this House. I find it bizarre that the Taoiseach was challenged about that yesterday, yet he has been involved in media engagements in the 24 hours since, and, to my knowledge, no journalist has put that question to him. What did Fianna Fáil do with the €500,000 that it raised illegally? That is legitimate question which has to be answered. It has been raised several times in this House and no Minister has stood up and accounted for it.

The reason this amendment has been tabled at all is because Fianna Fáil wants to organise another draw in the autumn. There is no other reason for it. The Minister of State has received many commendations. My experience of interactions with him in this House is that he has come in to read prepared statements on behalf of other people.

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