THE Waterford FG candidate and former Minister for Agriculture, Mr Austin Deasy TD, claimed yesterday that he had opted out of his party's front bench in 1992 because he was expected to collect money from big business.
Mr Deasy, taking part in a local radio discussion with other candidates, also attacked the increasingly "presidential" structure of political parties and said there were too few people in the Dail willing to express an honest opinion.
In the course of the debate on WLR FM, Mr Deasy said: "I opted out of the front bench because I disagreed with several policy decisions, and one was I refused to be a collector of money from big business.
"Now that may stun a few people. But I think in retrospect I was right. I think it was a principled decision.
"I stand outside a church gate for 10 or 11 Masses every year collecting money. I sell tickets. But there is a limit to where I will go in politics. I regard myself as a politician not as a collector of money.
Mr Deasy said he had also disagreed with his party on the format adopted for creating a government.
"I would have preferred if the PDs had been included rather than the Democratic Left. I said so at the time. I've paid a price as a result of those two particular issues, as well as a number of other points that I disagreed with."
The former Minister described a "considerable majority" of those in Dail Eireann as "really soundbites, who will say what they think is popular. They'll say what they feel the party leader and the party hierarchy want to be said, rather than express an honest opinion".
Asked after the programme if he objected on principle to his party approaching businesses for funds, Mr Deasy replied: "Not one iota."
He told The Irish Times: "I recognise fully that the party must get funds, but I think certain people should be designated for that purpose. All politicians should not have to do it - there are some of us good at certain things, and others not."