Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not and would not say it. I am sure that when the Minister sits down with his friends in the leadership of his party, he will find that they had their own reasons for leaving the Workers Party, joining New Agenda which became Democratic Left and finally joining the Labour Party. I did not question their motives or their validity as elected representatives or disagree with their decisions. That is what the Minister said a fortnight ago, not I, when he referred to people and their preciousness.

What is before us today is the preciousness of democracy. We all agree that politics should be funded and that there is an urgent need for reform but I do not think anybody can validly say that a political party should be in receipt of moneys for an incorrect number of parliamentarians. The sliding scale to which the Minister refers is no longer appropriate in respect of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil or the Labour Party. I think Fianna Fáil is okay at the moment from a numbers point of view but Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Labour Party are receiving party allowances for persons who are no longer within their parliamentary parties.