The Minister for Finance has said the resignation of Damien English as a Minister of State underlines the need for reform of ethics in public office legislation.
Speaking this morning in Cork, Michael McGrath conceded that Deputy English's resignation damaged public trust in politicians.
He said the Government would lead by bringing forward legislation this year to strengthen the powers and increase the resources of the ethics watchdog, the Standards in Public Office Commission.
He said he believed "very many" of the recommendations made by SIPO in its recent annual reports would be incorporated into that legislation.
"The Oireachtas does need to take this seriously," Minister McGrath said.
"I believe that legislation will be brought forward by the Government over the course of this year and we do need to finally up-date and modernise and strengthen ethics in public life [legislation], because events like this only serve to damage public trust and confidence in politicians and politics and that is not good for our country."
Minister McGrath said it was now a matter for SIPO as to whether it wished to further investigate Deputy English over the planning application he made to Meath County Council in 2008.
Yesterday, the TD accepted that he failed to inform the council of his ownership of a house at Castlemartin in Co Meath at the time of his application to build a house elsewhere in the county.
He said this was wrong and apologised.
Asked if the property interests of all ministers should be audited to ensure that they are compliant with public declarations they are obliged to make, Minister McGrath said ministers are "well aware" of their obligations and it fell to each individual to ensure that their affairs are fully in order.
Meanwhile, Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education Niall Collins said there is a "presumption that all politicians are out there trying to hide assets or hide something from the public" and insisted that this is wrong.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Collins said that Mr English was right to resign.
"I didn't think it's the type of issue where he could have weathered any type of storm."
The Fianna Fail TD for Limerick County said Mr English has "paid a high price".
"It's something which he did a number of years ago, wasn't right then and it isn't right now so there's no getting away from it."
