Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is his intention to introduce a cap on spending by candidates in local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35144/07]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is his intention to amend the Electoral Acts to provide increased transparency in the funding of political parties and greater scrutiny of political party expenditure in all electoral contests both national and local; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35136/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 103 together.

The 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. In this regard, I intend shortly to arrange for preliminary research on issues arising in relation to the establishment of the Electoral Commission.

In accordance with the Programme for Government my Department will be publishing a Green Paper on local government reform early in the new year. The Green Paper will examine a number of issues with the objective of making local government more transparent and responsive, and will set out options for reform in advance of a subsequent White Paper. 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 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.