The Taoiseach's assertion last week that wealthy candidates and millionaires could have unlimited funds in advance of an election is bizarre, to say the least, given that when Deputy Noel Dempsey was Minister for the Environment and Local Government, he blocked attempts by the SPOC to include all pre-election expenditure and related activity under the Act. This was an issue that received a lot of attention at the time. The Government refused point blank to look at the situation as would have been required by the SPOC at that stage. We all know the consequences. Only the expenditure incurred following the dissolution of the Dáil was taken into account which allowed Fianna Fáil, and its leader in particular, to invest in selling a flawed message to the electorate.