Sir, - In the recent discussions on political corruption there is much talk about banning corporate funding and also about funding political parties from the exchequer. In all of this the political parties claim to support the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995
However, the Act states that those who hold public office should refrain from the performance of their duties in areas where they have a material interest, unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
All our party-affiliated TDs have a material interest in their political parties. In the Electoral Act 1998 they voted for a Bill which gave their respective parties an annual kitty of £1 million to divvy up between them. Surely it can be argued that this contravenes the Ethics in Public Office Act.
The public funding of private political parties is a matter for an independent body which has no political affiliations. It should not be left up to members of the parties who have seats in Dail Eireann.
Does anyone believe that Bertie Aherne, for example, had no vested interest in voting for a bill which gives the Fianna Fail party £420,000 per annum? At least in the case of corporate donations these are given willingly, not taken by force of a statutory instrument. - Yours, etc.,
John Lacken, Drumkeeran, Co Leitrim.