23/12/09 - Report to Ceann Chomhairle Re Dublin Central and Dublin South Bye Elections of 5 June 2009 (pdf and text versions)

8. Reimbursement of election expenses

The Electoral Act provides for the reimbursement of election expenses to qualified candidates.  In order to qualify, candidates at a Dáil bye-election must either -

1. have been elected, or
2. if not elected, have exceeded, at any stage of the counting of votes at the election, one quarter of what would have been the quota in the constituency were the full number of members of the Dáil for the constituency to be elected.

A total of eight candidates at the bye-elections (five in Dublin Central and three in Dublin South) qualified for a reimbursement of their election expenses. The maximum amount which may be reimbursed to a qualified candidate is the lesser of €8,700 or the actual expenses incurred by/on behalf of the candidate.

The Standards Commission must certify to the Minister for Finance that a candidate is eligible for a reimbursement of his/her election expenses and that an Election Expenses Statement, completed in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the Guidelines published by the Standards Commission, has been furnished to the Standards Commission in relation to the candidate. The Standards Commission is also required to notify the Minister for Finance of the expenditure incurred by each candidate and of the reimbursement due in each case.

Qualified candidates apply to the Standards Commission for a reimbursement of their election expenses. It is the practice of the Standards Commission not to issue an application form to a qualified candidate until such time as all matters relating to the completion of his/her other statutory returns have been finalised. Reimbursement applications have been issued to all 8 qualified candidates.

The names of the qualified candidates and the amount of the reimbursement due in each case are given in Appendix V to this report.

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