TDs and Senators will be more scrutinised than any other parliamentarians in Europe once legislation currently going through the Dail was passed. It would also put a further block into the "fortress against corruption in this State", said Mr Dick Roche (FF, Wicklow).

He was speaking during the ongoing second stage debate on the Standards in Public Office Bill, whose provisions include the establishment of a commission to investigate complaints of impropriety by politicians. He said that although the legislation was good there was a danger that it could be used for spurious accusations against politicians going into an election, for example.

Mr Paul Bradford (FG, Cork East) agreed that monitoring legislation was a "necessary evil". "No job is more difficult and demeaning in politics than fundraising, whether at a church gate, at a business lunch or dinner or at a golf outing.

"It is absolutely pathetic that politicians have to prostitute themselves to seek £50 or £100 to run the political process." He stressed that 99.9 per cent of funds were raised for very genuine reasons and the politician "does not get one brown penny".

It was, however, still inappropriate that the 166 people "elected to run the country and to set high standards have to be demeaned and reduced to seeking funding from their constituents to run the parliamentary process which should be centrally and properly funded".

The debate continues.