I propose to share my time with Deputies Quinn, De Rossa and Sargent.
Private Members' Business. - Political Donations: Motion.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann
Noting with concern the recent revelation that a company made a substantial financial donation in 1989 to Mr. Ray Burke, then a Cabinet Minister, which was made out to cash
And believing that this raises serious questions which require further investigation
—Calls on the Taoiseach to explain why he did not inform Dáil Éireann as soon as he became aware that he had misled the House in regard to the sources of monies paid to Fianna Fáil by Mr. Burke,
—Calls on the Taoiseach to explain why he did not inform the Tánaiste for over two months that he was aware that monies paid to Fianna Fáil by Mr. Burke came from a donation from Fitzwilton/Rennicks and not JSME as she believed,
—Calls on the Taoiseach to make a full statement of his investigations, in June 1997 and earlier, in Fianna Fáil Headquarters and elsewhere, prior to his appointment of Ray Burke as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and in September 1997 when the disclosure of the donation to Mr. Burke by JSME was revealed,
—Calls on the Government to immediately make time available for the passing of legislation along the lines scheduled to this motion to enable the terms of reference of the Flood or Moriarty Tribunals to be amended by Dáil Éireann so that the policy decisions taken by Mr. Burke when Minister for Justice, Communications, Industry and Commerce, and Energy between 1987 and 1992, can be investigated so as to ascertain whether any decision taken by Mr. Burke or Governments of which he was a member, could have been influenced in any way by payments he or the Fianna Fáil Party received in that period.
SCHEDULE