Caít Keane (Fine Gael)

I put up my hand to speak when the Senator stated that this side of the House voted against this amendment, which we did. As it stands, the amendment is flawed but the spirit behind it is good. Openness and transparency is very valuable in politics but we are not going to fix an entire system with this Bill. I agree with the spirit nonetheless.

We are all Senators and our category - in a party or Independent - is secondary. Independent Senators are governed and their expenses are as open as mine would be, except for the leader's allowance. We all have an allowance that can go to certain areas. The Independents' leader's allowance is different from the Senator's allowance but we are dealing with a Bill that comes under the auspices of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan.

We should compliment the Minister on a very far-reaching Bill but I will not mention the gender issue today because it is not relevant to the amendment. It is an historic day. This amendment may be under the wrong Department and, as I stated the last day, the expenses of Members is not dealt with by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister. The Minister can correct me if I am wrong but the issue should be examined in a different sphere.

Keeping accounts is difficult and I would prefer if we got no expenses but had a proper salary for the job. Politics is getting a very bad name and although we are looking for women to get into politics, they will refuse to do so if there is such a bad name connected with expenses. Why not pay Senators and Deputies a decent salary and let them pay their own expenses and travel costs? They would be the same as everybody else. That is what I would like to see but it is not within the brief of this Bill.

I would like the Minister to take the issue to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, so we can have a debate in the proper place. I hope the issue comes back to the Chamber. I will only agree with the amendment if the Minister believes it appropriate to come in under his Department. I have sympathy with Senator Norris's comments and the way politics is funded currently is giving politicians a bad name. I do not like having to keep accounts and I would like to concentrate on the business of politics.

I am here on a full-time basis and have given up my previous work, as Senator Norris did. People very often write not about what is given up for politics but what a person takes from the job. We should all try to ensure politics gains a good name and we should put in the required hours. I am fully in favour of openness, accountability and transparency. The requirement to return money to the State does not only apply to Independents but also members of parties.