Press Releases

Press Release regarding disclosure of donations by unsuccessful candidates at the Seanad general election of 23 and 24 July 2007

Date Released: 07.02.2008

For further information contact David Waddell (01) 6395707 or Aidan Moore (01) 6395712

The Standards Commission today published details of donations disclosed by unsuccessful candidates at the Seanad general election. The details are contained in a report on the Seanad general election which was furnished to the Ceann Comhairle.

105 unsuccessful candidates were required to furnish a Donation Statement. Four unsuccessful candidates who were subsequently nominated to the Seanad by An Taoiseach were not required to complete a Donation Statement as an unsuccessful candidate as they were required to complete a Donation Statement for 2007 as Members of Seanad Éireann.

16 unsuccessful candidates disclosed a donation exceeding €634.87 in value while 89 unsuccessful candidates furnished a "nil" Donation Statement. Two candidates disclosed monetary donations received from their respective political parties which were in excess of the maximum acceptance limit of €2,539.48. In each case the candidates confirmed that the excess donations had been returned to their political parties. Two candidates disclosed donations which were below the disclosure threshold of €634.87.

In all donations totalling €48,216.25 were disclosed as follows:

• Breen, Gerry (FG), Industrial & Commercial - €1,455.39
• Cahill, Michael (FF), Industrial & Commercial - €2,000.00
• Crowley, Liam (FF), NUI - €2,400.00
• Finnegan, Edwin (FF), Industrial & Commercial - €2,500.00
• Harty, Mary (FG), Labour - €2,500.00
• Hutchinson Edgar, David Robert (NP), Dublin University - €940.00
• Lydon, Donal J (FF), Labour - €4,500.00
• MacCárthaigh, Dáithí (NP), NUI - €2,450.00
• McGinley, Kieran Jack (NP), Labour - €405.20
• McGowan, Patrick (FF), Agricultural - €2,000.00
• Martin, David (NP), Dublin University - €7,079.56
• Millington, Gordon (NP), Industrial & Commercial - €2,086.10
• Moriarty, Luke (FF), Industrial & Commercial - €1,000.00
• Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer (FF), Labour - €3,000.00 (€460.52 returned to the donor)
• O'Donovan, Patrick (FG), Labour - €7,000.00 (€4,500 returned to donor)
• O'Sullivan, Bernadine (NP), NUI - €6,900.00

Here is a link to the Standards Commission's report to the Ceann Comhairle

Issued by the Standards in Public Office Commission on 7 February 2008

Telephone: 01-6395666
Fax: 01-6395684
email: sipo@sipo.gov.ie
Website: http://www.sipo.gov.ie

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