Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when legislation will be introduced to provide for the Independent Electoral Commission to take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight as promised in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22808/07]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will amend the Electoral Acts to provide for increased transparency in the funding of political parties and for greater scrutiny of political party expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22810/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 146 together.

The Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission which will take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight, implement modern and efficient electoral practices, revise constituency boundaries, take charge of compiling a new national rolling electoral register, take over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending, and examine the issue of financing the political system. I will be developing appropriate proposals in this regard.

In addition, the Agreed Programme for Government commits to publishing a Green Paper on local government reform. One of the issues which the Green Paper will address is the question of expenditure limits at local elections. There are currently no such limits, although expenditure, as well as donations over a €635 threshold, must be disclosed. I have set in train a process of public consultation prior to the preparation of the Green Paper and have established a related Consultative Committee. Work on the Green Paper should be completed by the end of this year with final proposals to be settled in a White Paper next year.

I am satisfied that the proposals for the Electoral Commission, together with the initiatives which will emerge from the Green Paper, provide an appropriate framework to progress our extensive and complex agenda for electoral and local government reform.