Press Releases

Disclosure of Donations received in 2006 by TDs, Senators and MEPs

Date Released: 04.04.2007

Further information: Aidan Moore 6395712 or 087 9175186

TDs, Senators and MEPs disclosed donations with a total value of €131,923.67 for 2006 according to figures published today by the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Standards Commission).

The donations included money, property, goods and services. Only donations valued at more than €634.87 require to be disclosed. If the same donor makes more than one donation to the same TD, Senator or MEP during a calendar year, the values of the donations must be aggregated and disclosure made if the total is greater than €634.87.

A total of 233 Donation Statements were received in relation to 2006 (this includes five TDs (Deputies Aylward, Coveney, Harkin, Mitchell and Ryan) and one Senator (Senator Jim Higgins) who are also MEPs and from whom a single Donation Statement is furnished in respect of their dual mandates). The donations disclosed can be broken down as follows:

TDs disclosed donations valued at €123,177.27
Senators disclosed donations valued at €8,696.40
One MEP disclosed a donation valued at €50.00

A breakdown of the donations received by political party shows that:

Members of Fianna Fáil disclosed the highest proportion with a total value of €108,327.27
Members of Fine Gael disclosed €10,024.00
Members of the Labour Party disclosed €6,522.40
One member of the Sinn Féin Party disclosed €2,000.00
Non-party members disclosed €5,050
No donations valued in excess of €634.87 were disclosed by members of the Progressive Democrats, the Green Party, or the Socialist Party.

TDs, Senators and MEPs are prohibited from accepting foreign donations or from accepting anonymous donations exceeding a value of €126.97. They are also prohibited from accepting donations with a total value exceeding €2,539.48 from the same person in the same year. Two excess donations were disclosed in respect of 2006. In each case the excess donations were returned to the donors.

The Standards Commission's report to the Ceann Comhairle concerning the Donation Statements received from TDs, Senators and MEPs in respect of 2006 is available on the website of the Standards Commission as are details of the donations disclosed to the Standards Commission. A link to the report is provided below.

Political parties are separately required to disclose details of donations received by them. Donation Statements in respect of 2006 were due from political parties on 31 March 2007. A separate report from the Standards Commission on donations disclosed by political parties will issue in the near future.

Report by the Standards Commission concerning donations disclosed by TDs, Senators and MEPs in respect of 2006.

Issued by the Standards in Public Office Commission on 4 April 2007

Fax: 01-6395684
email: sipo@sipo.gov.ie
Website: http://www.sipo.gov.ie

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