21/06/07 - Report on Exchequer Funding received by Political Parties for 2006

Part 2 - Payment of Exchequer Funding in respect of 2006

Section 16 of the Act defines a "qualified party" as a political party which is registered in the Register of Political Parties to contest a Dáil election and whose candidates received not less than 2% of the total first preference votes obtained by all candidates at the most recent Dáil general election. Based on the result of the Dáil general election of 17 May 2002, six political parties, namely, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, The Labour Party, Progressive Democrats, Green Party and Sinn Féin were qualified to receive Exchequer funding under the Act in respect of 2006.

In accordance with section 17, each qualified party receives a payment of €126,973. They also receive a proportion of a fund which increases in line with general pay increases in the civil service. During 2006, increases of 2.5% (from 1 June 2006 under "Sustaining Progress") and 3% (from 1 December 2006 under "Towards 2016") were applied to the fund. The fund currently stands at €4,617,807.20. The proportion of the fund payable to a qualified party is determined by expressing each qualified party's first preference votes as a proportion of the total first preference votes received by all qualified parties. In accordance with section 17(5) of the Act, the funding received is not subject to income tax.

Details of payments made to the qualifying political parties in respect of 2006 are provided in Table 1 below.

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