I apologise to the House for an inadvertent discourtesy earlier. It appears our colleagues found the remains of victims more quickly than we had expected.
I understand the Minister is not prepared to accept this amendment. He is not prepared to accept a limitation of expenditure on the part of candidates of parties in local elections. Reference was made in the House yesterday to views expressed by the Minister in the Seanad, where I understand he said we should perhaps abolish expenditure limits for general elections, by-elections and European elections. Will he outline the main reasons he believes we should abolish expenditure limits?
Why does the Minister believe we are so different from other States which have found that in modern societies it is becoming increasingly difficult to divorce the practice of politics from the possession of money? I speak, as do the majority of Members, as one who is not in a position to spend large amounts of money on elections. I would not wish to, even if I were in a position to spend more than I do.