19/12/08 - Report on Exchequer Funding received by Political Parties for 2007

Part 3 - Purposes for which the Exchequer funding is provided

In accordance with Section 18 of the Act, the funds received by qualified parties must be applied to:

" ... the general conduct and management of the party's affairs and the lawful pursuit by it of any of its objectives and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any or all of the following purposes, namely -

1. the general administration of the party,
2. research, education and training,
3. policy formulation, and
4. the co-ordination of the activities of the branches and members of the party."

The funding received is also deemed to include provision in respect of expenditure by qualified parties in relation to the promotion of participation by women and young persons in political activity.

The funding received may not be applied to, or to recoup, election or referendum expenses. During 2006, certain media reports suggested that Exchequer funding received by qualified political parties might be used to finance pre-election spending at the 2007 Dáil general election. "Pre-election" means expenses which were incurred on goods, property or services which are used prior to the dissolution of Dáil Éireann. The Standards Commission took the view that it was not appropriate to use funding received under the Act to finance any form of election spending at either the Dáil or Seanad general elections. It issued guidelines to this effect in November 2006 to each of the qualified political parties. These guidelines were also published on the Standards Commission's website.

Appropriate officers are required to state on their Statement of Expenditure of Exchequer Funding if the funding had been used for electoral purposes. Each of the six appropriate officers have stated that the funding was not used for electoral purposes.

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