Donations Disclosed by TDs, Senators and MEPs for 2007

4. Donation Statements received from Individual Donors

Section 24(1A) of the Act provides that any individual, who in a particular year, makes donations exceeding €5,078.95 in aggregate value to two or more persons who were members of the same political party when the donations were made, or to a political party, and to one or more of its members, is required to furnish a Donation Statement/Statutory Declaration to the Standards Commission.  The Donation Statement/Statutory Declaration, must give details of the donations and the persons to whom they were made and must be furnished by 31 January of the following year.

If a donor does not intend to comply with this requrement and a TD, Senator, MEP or candidate at an election is aware of this, he/she is prohibited from accepting a donation from that individual.  If such a donation is received, the Standards Commission must be notified within 14 days and the donation or its value remitted to the Standards Commission.

From Donation Statements furnished to it by unsuccessful candidates at the Dáil and Seanad general elections, the Standards Commission identified two individuals, Ms. Ruth Coppinger and Mr. Mick Murphy, who in each case, had made donations exceeding €5,078.95 to two or more members of the Socialist Party.  The Standards Commission wrote to Ms. Coppinger and Mr. Murphy on 30 January 2008 enclosing a Section 24(1A) Donation Statement form for completion.  Donation Statements were subsequently received from Ms. Coppinger and Mr. Murphy.

Back to contents