Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is what I am saying now and I do not believe the Senator can quote me as ever having ever anything different. That is my view.

This is a simple enough Bill designed to do two things, first, to reduce the supports available under what was the party leader's allowance and, second, to abolish severance payments for Ministers. There is also a third element that I should have mentioned; the Bill seeks to broaden the arch of accountability from what now applies to parties to Independent Members also. There is an anomaly in that there is no accounting for the sums of money given to Independents and the public require such accountability at this time. That is the nub of what is captured in the Bill, but we have spent 90% of the time dealing with an issue which is not an essential part of it. It is something no doubt which we will return to debate at another time, but I am anxious to have the essential parts of the Bill enacted in order that we can bring it into force in the new year.