Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I am pleased the Minister has taken a balanced approach in this regard. As he is aware, Fianna Fáil pushed for further reforms in this area and I reiterate that Fianna Fáil relies on small individual donations for more than 80% of its funding. The party's position has been that corporate donations should be banned outright. However, I agree the Minister has struck the right balance in this Bill because we live in an era of great cynicism towards the political establishment. Although our political structures in their entirety may not be under immediate threat, democracy once was famously referred to as being a fragile flower at which one needed to work. It would not be in the best interests of politics or of the greater society to ban outright or prevent any opportunity for those individuals,corporations, companies or sole traders that may wish to identify with a particular political cause or which discern how a particular political party reflects their own particular beliefs and ideology from making that gesture. I agree with the Minister that setting the thresholds at the proposed levels of €200 - or €100 in the case of an individual - will ensure there cannot be any question of there being corruption. At the same time however, it allows citizens, be they corporate or individual, to express their preference within our democratic system. Members should encourage more people in civic society to engage actively in the political process. Until such time as we arrive at a point at which the State takes over the entirety of political funding for political parties, this is the best route to take.

Even though my heart might tell me such donations should be banned completely, my head asks me how this would be of benefit in the long term to the continuity of support for political institutions, were the citizenry completely isolated and wholly removed from what was going on within the political system. Members of both Houses are already aware, given the manner in which the media treat politics and politicians, that they must fight constantly to try to put across to the public the message that democracy works, that Members are about democratic business in this House and that they work in the interests of all citizens. It is inevitable in a democracy that the media are free. However I believe the media sometimes think they do not have a responsibility either. There have been glaring examples of stories that have been distorted and skewed. While the headlines may have grabbed attention, yet when one reads the substance of the story one finds it to be severely wanting. I do not wish to belabour the point other than to note the Minister is correct in his actions. Perhaps it is important to put down a marker to the effect that while there may be those who wish to see an outright ban on any form of donation at any level to political parties, there is an inherent danger to the democratic system if one isolates completely the public from being able to make a contribution if they see fit.