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

3.9 - Receipt of Election Agents' Election Expenses Statement forms

354 election agent Election Expenses Statement forms were received by the statutory deadline of 19 July 2007. As of 26 July 2007, 64 Election Expenses Statements had still not been received. On that date the Standards Commission wrote to the agents concerned advising them that it is an offence under section 43(2)(c) of the Act to fail to furnish an Election Expenses Statement by the statutory deadline.

By 3 August 2007, there were 37 Election Expenses Statements outstanding. The Standards Commission sent a further reminder on that date to the agents concerned. On 14 August 2007 with 28 Election Expenses Statements still outstanding a final reminder issued to the agents concerned. The agents were advised that if an Election Expenses Statement was not received within seven days, the Standards Commission would consider referring the matter to the Gardaí. (The Standards Commission has previously been advised by the Office of the DPP to deal directly with the Garda authorities in relation to such offences under the Act.) On 28 August 2007, the Standards Commission requested the Gardaí to investigate the following election agents for failure to furnish an Election Expenses Statement:

• Mr. Thomas King who acted as his own election agent (Non-party, Galway West);
• Ms. Margaret Murphy who acted as election agent for Mr. Thomas Harpur (Green Party, Wexford); and
• Mr. Jim Tallon who acted as his own election agent (Non-party, Wicklow).

An Election Expenses Statement was subsequently received from Ms. Murphy. At the time of publication of this report, an Election Expenses Statement form has still not been received from either Mr. King or Mr. Tallon. As stated in Chapter 2 of the report the Standards Commission also referred Mr. King and Mr. Tallon to the Gardaí for investigation of an offence under section 25 of the Act for failure to furnish a Donation Statement. While the Standards Commission understands that the Gardaí are investigating the offences committed by Mr. King, it is not aware of what action, if any, has been taken in relation to Mr. Tallon.

Back to contents