Seanad debates

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Dáil]: Second Stage

 

5:00 pm

Photo of Dan BoyleDan Boyle (Green Party)

We achieved the desired effect in both elections and I am grateful to the people in both electoral areas.

In terms of influence, money pays and has influence. This is as true of political parties as it is of individual candidates. This Bill is the first legislation that tries to measure this so that we have a level playing field for most participants in the electoral system. The spending and time limits proposed are generous. We know local government elections take place every five years and there is a time period within which effective campaigning can start. Anyone who is serious about being elected to the local council has been knocking on doors and spending money on the election for several months already, perhaps for up to six months. This legislation does not measure that type of expenditure, but it tries to control the expenditure at the most intensive period as election day approaches and at a time when candidates are more nervous about their election and are tempted to spend more money. The Bill is welcome in that regard.

Useful points have been made with regard to postering. However, we have overkill in the use of postering in our culture and there is no aesthetic effect with regard to how they are placed, whether on poles or in prominent locations. We seem to think that if we put four or five posters of the same candidate in the same location people will be more inclined to vote for that candidate. We should learn from models in other areas. The Minister has it in mind to put a voluntary code in place for the forthcoming elections to see whether the rules he has in mind can be adhered to by all candidates and parties. Other systems might be even more effective, for example, central postering points and information centres where voters can get information about their candidates, see them and what they represent or stand for. These options impart far more information than a grinning, inane picture of a candidate on a telegraph pole.

If we are honest, we will admit that the impact of many of our posters is extremely limited. It is said that a poster has no effect whatsoever three days after being put up and that a leaflet given out on a doorstep has only 30 seconds to make an impact, if one is lucky. We should consider whether the amount of money spent to achieve that impact could be spent differently and to greater effect. What we try to do in elections is increase participation of the public in the decision making bodies that affect their local communities. We want to get the best individuals possible involved in that process. We want them to stand for election and to be elected. That does not always happen, but it is our aspiration.

In bringing forward this legislation and the forthcoming White Paper on local government, my party leader can eventually leave office saying he has been the most effective Minister with regard to reform of local government. For far too long, local government has been the poor relation of electoral politics in this country. We have had cases where local elections were postponed year after year, for example, as mentioned between 1991 and 1999. I am convinced that if the constitutional referendum — I acknowledge the work of Deputy Brendan Howlin as the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government — had not taken place, we would have an argument now not to have local elections this year because of the economic situation. The argument would be made for the elections to be put off again and again and the same people would be in situ.

We must leave those days behind. It is important for our local communities and councillors that we renew our local authorities and give people a choice. They must know that every five years they have the opportunity to refresh the ideas and contributions of people on their local councils. Without that, we would still have the abuse of electoral guidelines as in the past. It is for this reason we need legislation on the control of spending in elections. In the 2004 elections, a sum of €35,000 was spent in one electoral ward——

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