Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I am interested in Senator Bannon's point. However, the main difficulty for all candidates at election time is one of securing the deposit, in particular for European elections for which the deposit is high. I welcome the abolition, by way of court challenge, of the requirement to have a deposit.

On Senator Bannon's point, this matter has already been tested in the courts. Perhaps this issue could be reconsidered in the context of future legislation. The main obstacle was the requirement to have a deposit and I welcome the abolition of that provision.