Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I welcome the Tánaiste back to the House. He is being kept very busy today. As I was not sure about the Bill, I asked myself a few questions about it. Is the Bill necessary? Is it sufficient? Will it achieve its objective? Will it inhibit worthwhile or other action that might not otherwise have happened? Is it fair to raise the threshold from €650 to €2,000? Unfortunately, the Bill is necessary. Since I entered the House almost 15 years ago, a number of ethics Bills have been enacted but the issue of gifts has not been covered. However, last October, the Taoiseach promised this would be addressed. Times have changed and Senator Dardis referred to Gladstone. When he sat in his office one day, he discovered he had posted at the expense of the state a letter using a penny stamp. He took a stamp out of his pocket, tore it in half and threw it in the waste bin. That standard is far removed from where we are today.

I am not sure the Bill is sufficient but the Standards in Public Office Commission will decide whether it is acceptable. The legislation will set a standard that will help people to decide whether gifts are acceptable. It is unlikely the Bill will achieve its objective but it is a step in the right direction. I dislike the thought of more legislation because the Bill will inhibit otherwise worthy objectives. There is a possibility people who have been successful in life and who would be valuable Members of the Houses may decide there are too many disadvantages to seeking election and devoting time and attention to working in the Oireachtas where they would have done so 20 years ago because there was less intrusion into people's daily lives.

I sat on the better regulation forum, established by the Government earlier this year. Impact analysis was considered for better regulation in that before legislation is introduced, its likely impact should be analysed. One of my fears about this legislation is that it could inhibit and disadvantage those who might have been tempted to enter the Houses and give of their time to help the State. I do not have a problem with the increase in the threshold from €650 to €2,000 but I acknowledge Senator Cox's comments and I understand why people are concerned about this because it might not be a large amount to some whereas it may be to others. However, the Minister has in mind continuing inflation because the threshold will be in place for a number of years.

Reference has been made to the regime in the United States. I am on the board of an organisation that collects political donations. It has a number of rules, one of which is it only allows contributions by individuals and not companies. The organisation does not allow contributions by foreigners and, therefore, I cannot support its political activities. There are difficulties in accepting a gift.

Senators Ryan and Dardis referred to accepting an invitation to attend a football match in the US and then discovering the cost of the package. A friend of mine accepted an invitation from a US biscuit company to attend a golf match in Florida every year but when he was told by his company that he could no longer accept the gift, he sought to pay for the package because he still wanted to attend. However, it was embarrassing for shareholders of the biscuit company and the shareholders of the companies whose executives accepted the gifts when the cost of the golf package emerged.

The legislation is a step in the right direction but it is a pity we must move in this direction because it presents disadvantages. However, the Minister has it right and I congratulate him on it.