Guidelines for the general election to the 30th Dáil

A. Appointment as an election agent

2.1  Each candidate must appoint an election agent.  The election agent must have an office or place in or convenient to the constituency to which claims, notices, writs, summonses and other documents may be sent.  The candidate must supply the name and office address of the election agent in writing to the Returning Officer for the constituency in which the candidate is standing.  There is no provision on the nomination papers for the candidate to give details of his/her election agent.  The candidate must, therefore, provide such details separately to the Returning Officer.  This must be done not later than the last day for receiving nominations at the election.  The Standards Commission has issued a form to Returning Officers which a candidate may use to give details of his/her election agent.  The Returning Officer will subsequently provide the election agent's details to the Standards Commission. 

2.2  It is very important that the correct details regarding the appointment of an election agent are notified to the Returning Officer.  The Standards Commission may only accept an Election Expenses Statement from the person notified to it by the Returning Officer as the candidate's election agent.  The election agent should ensure, therefore, that the candidate has notified his/her correct details to the Returning Officer.

2.3  A candidate may act as his/her own election agent.  A candidate who does not notify the Returning Officer of the appointment of an election agent within the required time is deemed to be acting as his/her own election agent.  A candidate acting as his/her own election agent is required to comply with the requirements of the legislation both as a candidate and as an election agent.

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