Amnesty International Ireland is refusing to obey the law on funding of political purposes. They are refusing to return an illegal donation from America to help to repeal the eighth amendment. Amnesty is mistaken in taking this position, both ethically and practically.
Atheist Ireland is also a civil society body. We also promote human rights, including repeal of the eighth amendment. Our fundraising is also restricted by this law. Despite this, we support the law. We believe that it should be strengthened not subverted.
The SIPO law exists to ensure that good arguments can be heard because of their merits, and not get drowned out by those who happen to have the wealthiest supporters. Civil society bodies should welcome measures to prevent Ireland from becoming a plutocracy.
We should strengthen this law, to ensure that our democracy is more a battle of ideas than a battle of bank accounts. We should resist attempts to weaken it, by subverting its ability to regulate the influence of money on political decisions between elections.
Atheist Ireland today published a comprehensive report about this law.