26/06/07 - Donation Statements furnished by political parties for 2006

Part 3 - Prohibited Donations

Section 23(1) of the Act provides that a political party must not accept, either directly or indirectly, an anonymous donation valued in excess of €126.97. If such a donation is received, it is required to be notified and remitted (or its value remitted) to the Standards Commission not later than 14 days after its receipt.

Section 23A(1) provides that the maximum value of donations which a political party may accept from the same donor in the same year is €6,348.69. Where a donor makes more than one donation to the same party in the same year the values of the donations must be aggregated and the donations treated as a single donation.

Section 23A(2) provides that a political party must not accept a foreign donation. A foreign donation is a donation from:

(i) an individual (other than an Irish citizen) who resides outside the island of Ireland, or

(ii) a body corporate or unincorporated body of persons which does not keep an office in the island of Ireland from which one or more of its principal activities is directed.

Section 23A(5) provides that where a donation which is prohibited, because it is either a foreign donation or because its value exceeds the prescribed limit, is received by a political party, the party must notify the Standards Commission within 14 days and remit the donation, or in the case of a monetary donation, that part which is over the limit, to the Standards Commission. As an alternative to notifying and remitting the donation to the Standards Commission, a political party may, within 14 days, return the donation, or in the case of a monetary donation, that part which is over the limit, to the donor and keep a written record of that return for the purpose of it being furnished to the Standards Commission, if required.

The Standards Commission was not notified of receipt of any anonymous or foreign donations or donations in excess of the maximum prescribed limit.

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