Lobby / Campaign Groups

The Electoral Act 1997, as amended, (the Act) imposes certain obligations on individuals or groups who or which:

receive donations for a campaign that is conducted to promote or procure a particular outcome in relation to a policy / policies or functions of the Government or any public authority, or
intend to incur expenditure to promote or oppose a candidate or a political party at a Dáil, European Parliament or presidential election, or to otherwise influence the outcome of the election.

The obligations set out at 1 and 2 below are separate and distinct and either or both may apply to a particular individual / group.

(1) "Third Parties"

An individual or group (other than a registered political party or election candidate) who or which accepts, in a particular calendar year, a donation exceeding in value €126.97 is required to register as a "third party" with the Standards in Public Office Commission (Standards Commission).

"A donation" means any contribution given for political purposes and can include money, property, goods or the free or below cost use of goods, property or services. It also includes the net value of a contribution to a fund-raising event.

"Political purposes" includes to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the interests of an individual or group in connection with the conduct or management of any campaign conducted to promote or procure a particular outcome in relation to a policy / policies or functions of the Government or any public authority.

When registering as a third party with the Standards Commission an individual / group must provide the following details:

the name and address of the third party and the name and address of the person responsible for its organisation, management or financial affairs ("responsible person");
a statement of the nature, purpose and estimated amount of donations to, and proposed expenses of, the third party during the year;
an indication of any connection the third party may have with any political party or candidate at an election or referendum or otherwise.

If a third party receives a monetary donation exceeding €126.97 it must open and maintain a Political Donations Account in a financial institution in the State. The responsible person of the third party will be required to make a return to the Standards Commission each year in respect of that account.

A third party must not accept the following:

an anonymous donation exceeding €126.97 in value;
a donation, or donations from the same person, exceeding an aggregate value of
€6,348.69 in the same calendar year;
a donation, of any value, from an individual (other than an Irish citizen) who resides outside the island of Ireland; or
a donation, of any value, from a body corporate or an unincorporated body of persons which does not keep an office in the island of Ireland from which one or more of its principal activities is directed.

(2) Incurring expenditure at Dáil, European Parliament and presidential elections:

Before incurring any expenditure to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the election of a candidate, the interests of a political party or otherwise to influence the outcome of a Dáil, European Parliament or presidential election, an individual or group who or which has not been authorised to incur such expenses by either the election agent of a candidate or the national agent of a political party must provide the following details in writing to the Standards Commission:

the name, address and description of the individual or group who or which is proposing to incur the expenses,
a statement of the nature, purpose and estimated amount of such expenses, and
an indication of the individual's or group's connection, if any, with any party or candidate at the election.

Where the Standards Commission considers that the individual or group is not connected to any candidate or party contesting the election, the individual or group will be required to furnish an Election Expenses Statement to the Standards Commission, within 56 days after polling day at the election.

The following publications will provide further information regarding the above requirements:

Explanatory note (2006) for Third Parties and Others
Guidelines for the presidential election of 22 October 2004 (pdf 133kb)
Guidelines for the general election to the 30th Dáil