David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I support the amendments. When we seek to ensure that individuals provide maximum information, and if we want proper accountability and transparency, no doubt there is a price to be paid. That price, for election candidates, is that there is an element of bureaucracy now involved in terms of managing accounts and providing information. We are implementing, as best we can, the recommendations of the Mahon report, and incorporating them into the Bill is important. Maximum disclosure on donations is important and should be supported.

Interestingly, Mahon also called for a regulator in this area. I am not sure whether the Minister is examining that. There are some headline or big-ticket items that Mahon also called for.

My last point is related to what Senator Mooney stated about the American system. While the Americans like to see themselves as the leaders of the free world and the bastion of democracy, one must look at the presidential election campaign where, no longer millions of dollars, but billions of dollars are now being raised by the political parties and candidates. That is undemocratic. When one looks at the negative campaigning associated with those election campaigns on which, essentially, the money is spent, it does nothing for democracy in that country. Thankfully, we are going in the opposite direction. As the Minister stated, when one looks at the levels of bureaucracy which must be gone through by everybody, including those who make donations, many may think twice about making any kind of corporate donation, and maybe that is not a bad outcome.

I would agree with Senator Mooney's point in an earlier contribution. While I would have preferred the Minister to go further on corporate donations, I accept that he has taken a pragmatic approach which goes as far as he believes he can possibly go and that must be commended.