Political financing - Public is not fooled by disclosures

The murky world of political financing needs to be opened to full public scrutiny.

Eamon de Valera used to decry the dangerous way in which money influenced the political process in the United States, but instead of facing the problem, we seem bent on imitating the Americans and making the same mistakes.

Fianna Fáil plans to raise around €120,000 at a single fundraiser in December, but it will not have to disclose any details of this money to the Standards in Public Office Commission, the body that monitors political financing laws.