Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Yes, on balance. On the other hand, the Senator had a problem earlier about support from the public purse, so how are we to fund the political system?

The Bill to come later in the year, relating to the expenditure side, might help us in this regard. A lot of money is wasted across the board in supporting candidates at election time. We should have a detailed look at the appropriate level of spending and the arrangements in the litter Acts for postering and other issues in order that there would be a level playing pitch that would allow ordinary people who want to get involved in politics to do so without being involved in the chequebook-style politics for professional people with a lot of money. They can stand for election because they have independent sources of income, while someone with a low income or no income is not at the races in terms of the support they might receive.

Money means a lot at election time. It has been proven repeatedly that the more money one spends, the better prospects one has in promoting a message, buying necessary advertising space, leafleting and all the associated advertising that goes with it. This does have an impact in terms of name identification. Whatever system we come up with in terms of dealing with these matters, we need to ensure everyone is treated the same.

Reference was made to families being able to continue to donate. That will be part of the Bill and is acknowledged. There is a substantial reduction from €44,000 in the case that was mentioned to €17,000. The thresholds that are now being introduced will have a big impact. As a Senator said, I do not see a queue in the streets of people looking to fund the political process or politicians. However, the restrictions and the reduction in the donation limits and declaration thresholds will have a major influence. There will be a massive reduction in the level of income parties can receive in comparison with the current situation.

It is important to note that the whole objective of the Bill is to provide greater openness and transparency in the manner in which political funding and donations operate. The Bill is designed to provide a level playing pitch for all bodies that are not individual persons. It is in that spirt that I am dealing with the amendments before us.