December 2003 - Review of Electoral Acts

Registration requirements

The registration requirements for third parties are similar, but not exactly the same, as the registration requirements relating to persons who intend to incur expenses promoting or opposing a candidate or political party at a Dáil or European Parliament election. If a group received a donation valued at more than €126.97 for the purpose of supporting a party or candidate at an election and also intended to incur expenses for that purpose at the election it would be necessary for the group to register as a third party having received a donation for political purposes and, separately, to register for the purpose of incurring expenses at the election. There are many examples of where this has occurred. The process would appear to be overly bureaucratic and could be simplified by amalgamating both registration requirements.

It should be noted that, as the legislation stands, a person, which could include an individual or an organisation, who does not receive a donation and who proposes to incur expenditure at a referendum is not required to register at all with the Standards Commission.

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