Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government is planning changes to the law governing financial donations to politicians or political parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23690/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission which will take responsibility for a range of electoral matters including, inter alia, the functions currently exercised by the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending; the Electoral Commission will also examine the issue of financing of the political system. I will be developing appropriate proposals in regard to the establishment of the Commission.

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 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.