Labour leader Eamon Gilmore renewed his pressure on the Government to introduce ethics legislation in the Dáil.
Mr Gilmore said that the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill had passed all stages in the Seanad last July. It provided for an arrangement whereby officeholders receiving money or a large gift could consult the Standards in Public Office Commission for advice.
"A report from the Standards in Public Office Commission last July recommended a number of changes to the ethics legislation. When does the Government intend to bring forward legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Standards in Public Office Commission?" Tánaiste Brian Cowen said he would be amendable to inserting some of the recommendations into the Bill he mentioned earlier.
"That is why I am having amendments drawn up to take on some of those recommendations and incorporate them into the Bill under discussion."
Mr Gilmore challenged Mr Cowen to say when the second stage of the Bill, "whereby people in doubt about accepting money from strangers can go to the Standards in Public Office Commission to get advice about it", would be introduced.
Mr Cowen said the Bill would be introduced with Government amendments. "It will incorporate some of the recommendations of the Standards in Public Office Commission and when enacted here will return to the Seanad to take on those amendments."
