Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

It is not a circus. The Minister of State knows full well the numbers of advisers and members of staff a Minister can have in his or her office.

Reform is needed in electoral spending. I expect the Standards in Public Office Commission to look at candidates' expenditure between elections. We must examine the issue of how political parties and candidates are funded. I am in favour of the State giving political parties funding to operate, but a cap must be placed on the amount that can be spent by parties and individual candidates between elections. It has, unfortunately, reached the point where only a certain few can run for political office. It is almost like we have gone down the American road where it costs millions of dollars to run for state or national political office.

The motion offers a clear choice to all political parties on which we can agree. We must allow the people their right to have a say, but we cannot be governed by populism or Joe Duffy either. If we are honest, we will agree the practice regarding ministerial pensions is wrong. If we want genuine change in political culture, we should start by accepting the motion.

To come back to a point made by Senator MacSharry, there is no point in blaming the Leinster House press office or staff for clocking in. Neither can journalists be blamed for the ills we have brought upon ourselves as politicians. We have an obligation to lead and the motion gives us the opportunity to do so. The outdated ministerial pension model needs to be replaced with a new transparent one which will show the people we are serious about reform and ensuring openness.