The first signs of an all-party consensus to change the system of political funding following the Flood tribunal revelations emerged last night. A move to increase substantially State funding for political parties now seems inevitable.
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, welcomed the publication by Fine Gael of a discussion document calling for a major shift in the funding of political parties. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is due to make a statement on the topic in coming days.
The Labour party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, also welcomed what he described as "the belated conversion" of Fine Gael to the principle of increased State funding of political parties.
Senior sources in Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour agreed last night that there was now a growing shift towards all-party agreement on change.
Mr John Bruton said at the launch of his party's document yesterday that he would be contacting the leaders of all the political parties in the next week to seek their views on the issue.
The move comes as both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are conducting internal party inquiries into whether any of their councillors accepted money for planning favours.
The inquiries were established following evidence by lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop at the Flood tribunal last month that he paid money to 15 Dublin county councillors during the 1991 local election campaign for "assistance" in planning matters.
The parties are anxious to be seen to be pushing for change in advance of possible further revelations when the Flood tribunal resumes on Tuesday, with Mr Dunlop continuing his evidence.
In a U-turn on previous policy, the Fine Gael discussion paper calls for a major shift from funding of political parties through private donations to funding by the Exchequer.
The party says the maximum donation from any individual, group or company to a party at national or local level should be no more than £3,000 a year.
It also wants the identity of every donor, whether corporate or individual, to be declared up front for public inspection. Mr Bruton said donations must be clearly defined to include gifts and services.
He said the issue of donations from voluntary organisations, lobby groups, single-issue pressure groups and non-trading entities such as trade unions would also have to be addressed.
Only registered voters or companies incorporated in Ireland and paying tax under Irish law should be able to make donations to a party. The onus would be on the party or individual accepting a donation to be satisfied that his was the case.
On corruption, Mr Bruton said Fine Gael would republish its prevention of corruption Bill which makes a new statutory offence of bribery punishable by a seven-year prison term.
"Ireland's corruption laws are outdated and need to be defined in the form of a modern statutes," said Mr Bruton.