13/12/07 - Report on disclosure of donations and election expenses at Dáil general election of 2007

3.8 - Issuing of Election Expenses Statement forms

An Election Expenses Statement form was required from the election agent of each candidate who contested the general election. A number of election agents acted for more than one candidate. In such cases, the election agent was required to furnish a separate Election Expenses Statement form in respect of each candidate. 466 individual candidates contested the election. Mr. Colm Callanan (CSP) contested the election in two constituencies and Mr. Noel O'Gara (Non Party) contested the election in four constituencies. Mr. Callanan and Mr. O'Gara were required to complete an Election Expenses Statement form for each constituency in which they contested the election. In all, 470 election agent Election Expenses Statement forms were required to be furnished to the Standards Commission. An Election Expenses Statement form was also required in respect of the nine political parties which had candidates contesting the election. A total of 479 Election Expenses Statement forms, therefore, were required to be furnished to the Standards Commission.

Section 36(2) of the Act provides that an Election Expenses Statement shall be in a form directed by the Standards Commission. A sample election agent Election Expenses Statement form was included as an Appendix to the published guidelines. The form which subsequently issued to election agents (GE/07/EES/EA) contained some minor changes to the sample form. The Standards Commission also produced Election Expenses Statement forms for use by the national agents of political parties. The form in each case was tailored to include the name, and other details, of each candidate of the party who had contested the election.

The Election Expenses Statement forms for both election agents and national agents, required election expenses, where the costs were originally met out of public funds, to be accounted for separately. The purpose of this was to allow the Standards Commission to provide details of such costs and, if necessary, to reconcile these amounts with the reimbursements made by outgoing Members to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission for use of such facilities for electoral purposes.

An Election Expenses Statement Form was issued by registered post to each election agent between 8th and 12th June 2007 and to the national agents of political parties on 18th June 2007. An explanatory note providing contact details for staff of the Standards Commission secretariat accompanied each form. Agents were advised to contact the secretariat if they were unsure about any aspect of the form. Staff of the secretariat also available to meet with election agents who required advice on the completion of the form. The forms were required to be furnished by the statutory deadline of 19 July 2007.

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