Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House. Having listened to his speech, I would have to say that this was not his finest hour. In fairness to Senator Ó Murchú, he is one of the more thoughtful contributors in this House, but his last contribution would hardly rank among his 250 best speeches to the House. It was a classic example that, despite the fact that Senator McHugh went out of his way to ensure that he did not criticise the Minister, civil servants or politicians, nonetheless the response on the other side was to act as if what he said was an argument ad hominem, an argument against the Minister, a criticism of civil servants, an implication that we could not trust our politicians. It is something that could be used in a training course for politicians as an example of what not to do when dealing with an issue.

It was a great idea to take money from the banks and financial institutions. We all cheered it. I welcomed it in this House and congratulated the Minister on taking firm action against them, and not before time. Nobody disagreed. That was the beginning. What evolved is no more than a slush fund. This is shameful and appalling legislation. Listening to the Minister's speech in my office I thought I had the wrong legislation. I could not connect between the legislation and what the Minister was saying. If I have time I will go through it towards the end of my contribution.

Senator Ó Murchú is a person who shows great sensitivity to the importance of political life, public representation and politics generally. I give him that and give it freely to him. However, this legislation will bring politics into disrepute. This is stroke politics at its best. This is cute-hoorism without boundaries. That is the way this legislation is going. I can see the party do-gooders slithering up to the local Dáil Deputy or Senator at the party function to ask him or her to make representations to the Minister on their behalf, and it will be done. As Senator Ó Murchú rightly said, there is nothing wrong with making representations. However, the response from the other side to my contribution will also be to assume I believe there is something wrong with it. There is nothing wrong with making representations. That is the way politics works and should work. We should make representations on behalf our communities. We should identify the disadvantaged and those who need support.

However, we should not have to make representations to the Minister who is going to spend the money. It was not tax money, which is a different issue. This is money which was taken from the banks and it should be spent publicly in a way that gives people confidence. This is a recipe for disenchantment, disconnection, dismay and disappointment. It is not the way to do business. This is not the way the Government should respond to what it heard from the public two weeks ago during the elections. What will ordinary people read into the legislation? What kind of trust and confidence will this put into political life? What kind of status, will this give politicians? It has nothing to do with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív. It is shameful that he should be drawn into this debate as he could be gone in September, or even next month. It does not matter who it is. The idea that we can pass legislation because we have a good Minister is neither here nor there.