Press Releases

Press release regarding Donation Statements and Statements of Expenditure of Exchequer funding furnished by political parties for 2005

Date Released: 16.05.2006

For further information contact Aidan Moore 01 - 6395712 or 087 - 9175186

1. Exchequer funding received and spent by political parties in 2005 under the Electoral Acts and under the Party Leaders Allowance legislation.

2. Disclosure of political donations received in 2005 by political parties

Figures released today by the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Standards Commission) show that qualified political parties received almost €12m in direct funding from the Exchequer during 2005. (Actual figure €11,919,391)

Political parties also disclosed donations received during 2005 with a total value of €142,917.

1. Exchequer funding under the Electoral and Party Leaders Allowance legislation

Six qualified parties (Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin, Progressive Democrats and the Green Party) received funding of €5,049,656 in respect of 2005 under the Electoral Acts. The same six parties together with the Socialist Party qualify for funding under the Party Leaders Allowance legislation and received payments of €6,869,735 in respect of 2005. Table A below gives a breakdown of the funding received by qualified political parties in respect of 2005.

Exchequer funding received under either the Electoral Acts or the Party Leaders Allowance legislation is not subject to income tax and may not be used for electoral or referendum purposes. Qualified political parties must furnish Statements of Expenditure of the funding received to the Standards Commission.

Non-party members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann also receive funding under the Party Leaders Allowance scheme. The total amount paid to non-party members of Dáil Éireann during 2005 was €467,273. The total amount paid to non-party members of Seanad Éireann was €96,054. Non-party members of Dáil or Seanad Éireann are not required to furnish to the Standards Commission a Statement of Expenditure in relation to the allowance.

2. Donations

Each of the 13 registered political parties was required, under the Electoral Acts, to furnish a Donation Statement to the Standards Commission indicating whether or not any donations exceeding €5,078.95 in value were received by them during 2005. Donations from the same donor during the year must be aggregated. (Donations valued at €5,078.95 or less are not required to be disclosed). The maximum value of donations which a political party can accept from the same donor in the same year is €6,348.69.

Four political parties disclosed donations valued in excess of €5,078.95 received during 2005. Fianna Fáil disclosed donations with the highest value (€76,498).

The Green Party disclosed donations totalling €30,600 while Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party disclosed donations of €30,000 and €5,819 respectively. In each case the donations received were from the parties' elected representatives.

The remaining nine political parties did not disclose any donations.

3. Reports

Details of the Exchequer funding received by qualified political parties and how it was spent are contained in two separate reports published today by the Standards Commission. Details of the donations disclosed by political parties are contained in a further report which was also published today by the Standards Commission. The reports which may be found on the website of the Standards Commission are as follows:

• Report to the Minister for Finance concerning Statements of Expenditure and Public Auditors' Reports, in respect of 2005, furnished under the Party Leaders Allowance legislation by qualified political parties. Table 1 of this report provides details of the funding received in respect of 2005 while Table 2 shows how the funding was used.
• Report to the Ceann Comhairle concerning Statements of Expenditure and Public Auditors' Reports, in respect of 2005, furnished under the Electoral Acts by qualified political parties. Table 1 of this report provides details of the funding received in respect of 2005 while Table 2 shows how the funding was used.
• Report to the Ceann Comhairle concerning annual Donation Statements in respect of 2005 furnished by political parties. Tables 1 to 5 of this report show details of the donations disclosed by political parties. This report also contains details of returns furnished to the Standards Commission by the "accounting units" of political parties. Table 6 of the report gives a summary of the returns received from "accounting units".

The Donation Statements and Statements of Expenditure and Auditors' Reports furnished to the Standards Commission may be inspected and copied by members of the public at its offices at 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. The information is also available, in summary form, on the Standards Commission's website www.sipo.gov.ie.

Table A: Total Exchequer funding of qualified political parties in 2005 under the Electoral Acts and the Party Leaders Allowance

Issued by the Standards in Public Office Commission on 16 May 2006

Telephone: 01- 6395712

Fax: 01- 6395684

e-mail: sipo@sipo.gov.ie

Back to contents