Plan to relax limit on candidates' spending

The Government intends relaxing the spending limits imposed on general election candidates, the Taoiseach indicated in replies to the Labour leader.Mr Ahern said while there was no legislation listed, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, had said outside the Dáil that the matter should be looked at.

"It is entirely unreasonable that a wealthy TD from his or her own resources - and there are plenty of them in this House - could spend a fortune right up to the campaign whereas another individual who has little or no money has to fight a campaign during the three weeks," said Mr Ahern.

That was the present system, he added.

"The system at the moment is designed to make sure that in the years ahead this House will be full of millionaires, and that is a bad system."

Pressing Mr Ahern on the issue, Mr Pat Rabbitte said it was only following the dissolution of the Dáil that spending limits were monitored by the Public Offices Commission and reports must be made. Prior to the dissolution of the Dáil, all the money a party had could be spent and was spent most dramatically by Fianna Fáil.

"In the constituency I represent, the party was deluged by spending running up to the dissolution of the Dáil.

"For example, I recall the civic holiday of St Patrick's Day when the route of the parade in my constituency was postered by one Fianna Fáil candidate."

Earlier, Mr Rabbitte accused the previous minister for the environment, Mr Dempsey, of raising the spending limits by 50 per cent just before the last election "in keeping with his policy of looking after the disadvantaged".

He said Fianna Fáil had spent enormous amounts of money before the dissolution of the Dáil.

"As did the Labour party," said Mr Dempsey.

Mr Ahern, who was speaking before the publication of the Standards in Public Office Commission's report, said it might show "inadvertent overspending" by some outgoing Oireachtas members who had used Oireachtas facilities during the campaign.

"This followed the outcome of a High Court case, the judgement of which was delivered on the afternoon of May 16th, 2002.

"I believe it would be accepted that outgoing members from all parties acted in good faith in terms of the use of the facilities provided by the Oireachtas since at the time that was excluded from the Act."

When Mr Rabbitte raised the matter again later, the Taoiseach said the matter would be discussed with all parties. "The reality is that I cannot walk around Leinster House without being asked about the issue. It is a burning issue with Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the Green Party, Sinn Féin and everyone else."