Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government is planning changes to the law governing financial donations to politicians of political parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7734/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The programme for Government contains a commitment to establish an independent electoral commission which will take responsibility for a range of electoral matters including the functions currently exercised by the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending. The electoral commission will also examine the issue of financing of the political system. In this regard, a procurement process is under way for the carrying out of preliminary research on issues arising in relation to the establishment of the electoral commission.

In accordance with the programme for Government, my Department will publishing a Green Paper on local government reform shortly. The Green Paper will examine a number of issues with the objective of making local government more transparent and responsive, and will set out options for reform in advance of a subsequent White Paper. One of the issues which the Green Paper will address is the question of expenditure limits at local elections. There are currently no such limits, although expenditure, as well as donations over a €635 threshold, must be disclosed. I am satisfied that the proposals for the electoral commission, together with the initiatives which will emerge from the Green Paper, provide an appropriate framework to progress our extensive and complex agenda for electoral and local government reform.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I have an image of the Green Party inside the Fianna Fáil tent at the Galway Races and I am reminded of the observation of Lyndon Johnson regarding the water flow and its direction. It is apparent that the Green Party has given up on dealing with this issue.

I will bring two points to the Minister's attention and then ask a supplementary question.

Mr. Justice Matthew P. Smith, chairperson of the Standards in Public Office Commission, in his report last summer said: "There is a strong case to be made for a new approach to the general funding of political parties and sound arguments to be made for increased transparency in such funding and for greater scrutiny of political party expenditure." The Minister, Deputy John Gormley, then in Opposition, said that if the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were serious about new ethics legislation they would accept the proposals put forward by the Green Party to ban corporate donations, restrict spending — not just at election time but between elections — and to severely restrict personal donations and advertising. My question is——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am loath to interrupt the Deputy but quotations are not allowed in questions either.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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My questions are simple. Has this report been brought to the Government? Does the Minister accept its recommendations? When will legislation be implemented to put in place these recommendations? Let us not mind the Green Paper, which is happening anyway — this is in the programme for Government. Is there a timeframe for this, given the proximity of the local elections? Considering that there will be local elections next summer, it is ridiculous that there is a cap on general election spending but no cap whatsoever — in fact, the sky is the limit — on local election spending.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Cowen, has already rejected pleas by the Standards in Public Office Commission to change the law to strengthen its investigation powers. Is the Government now saying that it is telling the commission to just buzz off on this issue as well?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is unparliamentary language.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Is the Minister inside the Galway tent on this with Fianna Fáil or is he going to do something about it?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will make a general observation before the Minister replies. Under Standing Orders, there is one minute to put a question and one minute for the Minister to respond.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Labour Party is much closer to my colleagues in Fianna Fáil with regard to corporate donations than the Green Party because it sees no problem at all with corporate donations. If the Government was to impose a ban on corporate donations, Labour Party members would be up from their seats, saying they did not want it. The Labour Party accepts donations from builders or anyone else, but my party does not. That is the situation.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Is the Minister sure about that?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Likewise with my colleagues in Fine Gael. There was an initiative at one stage from the former party leader, Deputy Michael Noonan, to stop the practice of accepting corporate donations——

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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We did a U-turn on that, just as the Minister did a U-turn yesterday.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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The Minister is being disingenuous, considering that the Labour Party introduced the current legislation——

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The fact is that in my reply I said, very clearly, that the Green Paper will examine the question of capping expenditure at election time. I am committed to doing that and believe it is possible to do it between now and the local elections next year. The implication of Deputy Lynch's question is that the Green Party is somehow turning its back on the Standards in Public Office Commission and its recommendations, but it is doing no such thing. The electoral commission is something this country has required for quite some time. I am committed to putting the electoral commission in place that will examine the entire question of funding. It may even suggest a ban on corporate donations and——

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Will it be in place for the next local elections?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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——at that stage, we will see what the Labour Party has to say.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister give an assurance to the House that no member or public representative of the Green Party accepts corporate donations?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister has no responsibility to the House for his party role.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I have never come across an instance of it. That is the Green Party rule. I am speaking here as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government but I am happy to tell the Deputy that we have a rule in the Green Party that we do not accept corporate donations.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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That is fair enough.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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That is the rule, clear and simple. As I said, I know that Fine Gael had that rule. If the Deputy has information for me——

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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No.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Okay.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I might have, or I might not.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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It is a bit rich to have to listen to a Minister who wanted to increase the amount of donations one could make to a political party so he could give more of his salary to his own party, which would then be spent on himself and his own election campaigns, berating other parties. The Labour Party introduced the limits on expenditure on elections and introduced the legislation dealing with accountability and transparency in relation to donations. It is a bit disingenuous to say what the Minister has just said.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I am more than happy to be generous to the Labour Party. In fact, former Deputy Eithne Fitzgerald introduced some very good legislation in the area. Fair play to her and I recognise that.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It also introduced a very good Electoral Act in 1997.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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That was proposed by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I think the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, as Minister, had something to do with that and I compliment him on it. Let us work together. I have always said that as Minister I am more than happy to listen to any suggestions coming from the Opposition benches and if they are positive ones, I will act on them.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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We are always positive on this side of the House.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Minister did us a favour yesterday. He listened carefully to us.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I did indeed.