The priorities of this Government on ethical issues leave a lot to be desired. Legislation which has its genesis in the particular difficulties experienced by the Taoiseach in relation to financial "dig outs" received from his friends has only now been published. And it has little chance of becoming law before the Dáil is dissolved.
In contrast, spending limits for the coming general election were increased by 20 per cent last month. And representations for an increase in powers by the Standards in Public Office Commission have been consistently rejected.
A Government decision to send the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill to the Seanad for initial debate reflects the lack of urgency accorded to it. The legislation requires all Oireachtas members to secure approval from the Standards in Public Office Commission before accepting donations of more than €2,000 from friends for personal reasons.
At the same time, however, it trebles the old disclosure threshold of €650 for gifts or donations, while raising other personal property disclosure limits under an annual Register of Members Interests.
A substantial number of TDs and Senators regard requirements under ethics legislation as being unnecessarily intrusive. Personal privacy is, indeed, an important entitlement. But, by seeking public office, politicians have chosen to be different from other citizens. And they should respect and uphold the protections that are deemed necessary to ensure probity, transparency and accountability. After all, ethics legislation was introduced in response to public outrage over corruption involving big business and politics.
You cannot legislate effectively for honest behaviour. But you can make it more difficult for politicians and public servants to abuse the system. And you can establish and refine mechanisms designed to punish offenders. Unfortunately, however, this Government has taken a relaxed, even negative, stance on such issues. Repeated requests by the Standards in Public Office Commission for powers to inquire into matters of significant public importance, in the absence of a formal complaint, were rejected by Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen.
The Government has shown no appetite for reform and has rolled back some of the advances already made. Sections of the decision-making process of government were removed from public scrutiny by amending the Freedom of Information Act. The Standards in Public Office Commission, which also oversees the public service, has criticised the absence of a ban on council officials, paid by the State, engaging in lucrative private work. Legislation is still awaited, in spite of growing unease about corruption within the planning process.
This Bill has been published in response to disclosures that Bertie Ahern received more than €60,000 from friends and businessmen while minister for finance in 1993/94. Its real significance may lie in a defensive, dismissive attitude to valid public concerns.