Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House and I also welcome the indication from Sinn Féin of its support for all of the amendments. Although we are only speaking on the technical amendments now, the Minister referred to the context for the rest of the amendments. We had a full debate in this House on the original Parts 1 to 5 of the Bill and we discussed the need to ensure greater transparency in the funding of political parties and the need to ensure an end to any perception of a culture of corruption. Those provisions will now be strengthened by these amendments, on foot of the Mahon tribunal recommendations. It would be great if the Bill could be passed unanimously in this House.

When the Bill was introduced here I was delighted, as were my colleagues, that it was starting in the Seanad. It is good to see it, having started life as a Seanad Bill, having gone through the Dáil, coming back here with substantive amendments made by the Dáil.