Government plans to raise the limits for electoral spending would create suspicion among the electorate that private money can purchase influence in politics, according to the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte.
Mr Rabbitte called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahenrn to say now that he will instruct the Minister for the Environment, Mr MCullen to abandon government plans to again raise the limits for electoral spending.
"Instead amending legislation should be brought forward to impose appropriate limits on spending in the forthcoming local and presidential elections and to reduce the amount that can be donated to parties and individual politicians," said Mr Rabbitte.
Last year, Mr Cullen received more money in political donations than any other TD in the Dáil, according to figures from the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Mr Cullen received a total of €34,722 in political donations, which was almost twice as much as the next largest recipient.
Under the Electoral Act, political parties can accept donations from one source of up to €6,348 in a given year, while donations to individual politicians are limited to €2,539 per donor.
The cap hit the finances of Fianna Fáil in the general election and the Nice referendums.
Government sources say the limits have meant that people who wanted to make donations to the Nice campaign could not because of the cap.
They also point out that the scale of Irish corporate donations are modest by world standards.
Mr Rabbitte added: "Fianna Fáil's voracious appetite for fund-raising in order to maintain its hegemony over Irish politics is the direct cause of much of the obloquy that has attached to all political parties.
"For as long as wealthy interests are allowed to fund the party of their choice to the extent of their choice, the suspicion will remain that political decisions can be bought."