Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I must be careful not to waste my four minutes. The Minister is very welcome to the House to discuss this legislation. I particularly commend the proposals in regard to severance payments. It is absurd that the pension levy does not apply to ministerial pensions. Indeed, it only applies to private pensions, which creates inequality in society. The Government has raided people's private pensions through the levy, but business people who are in desperate need of cash to keep their business going and feed their family cannot access that locked-up money. I acknowledge that it is possible to access 30% of the funds in an additional voluntary contribution, AVC, scheme, but it is not enough. I would like to see the Government being more open and sympathetic to the notion of easier access to pension funds, which has been done with great success in Denmark. We should not be afraid of releasing cash into the economy on that basis.

I welcome the reduction of 10% in the so-called party leader's allowance which, according to the Minister, will lead to a substantial saving of some €840,000. Will he comment on the issue of Electoral Acts funding, which I understand is separate to that? According to The Irish Times, political parties received €14 million last year under this funding, of which €4.9 million went to Fine Gael. Should we not be reviewing these payments if we are serious about saving money? In addition, it is estimated that the Seanad abolition campaign that was initiated by the Government cost taxpayers some €14 million in total. I have heard suggestions that the Government campaign itself, which included advertising and a very fancy website, cost €400,000 to €500,000. The Minister might indicate whether those figures are accurate. Information on these types of expenditure items should be out in the open so that the tax-paying public can question whether they represent a sensible allocation of money.

On the issue of parliamentary allowances, the principle of supporting Oireachtas Members to carry out their work, including researching issues, is a good one. I welcome the increased transparency in this area. It seems to me there should be some Oireachtas body or think tank which could review international legislation and seek out best practice in this area. Not all good legislation comes from so-called developed countries. Many less high-profile countries have brought forward amazing and innovative ideas that are overlooked but which we might do well to adopt in their wake. As I argued on the Order of Business today, the Oireachtas - not necessarily just this House - should be examining international developments and, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, looking to see whether we can take on board what is best practice elsewhere. I would like to see an allocation of funding for that purpose.

The Minister has taken the right steps and is moving us in the right direction. I am very impressed with the figures he provided today. I suspect the vast majority of people are not aware of the substantial savings that have been achieved in this area. I urge him to continue in the same vein, while pointing out that additional steps could be taken to advance his objectives.