Representatives in the European Parliament (MEPs)

The Electoral Act 1997, as amended, (the Act) requires representatives in the European Parliament (MEPs) to furnish an annual Donation Statement and Statutory Declaration to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Standards Commission) by 31 January each year. All donations received during the preceding calendar year with a value, or an aggregate value from the same donor, greater than €634.87 must be disclosed in the statement.

An MEP who receives a monetary donation of more than €126.97 is required to open and maintain a political donations account. Certain information relating to that account must be furnished each year to the Standards Commission.

An MEP is prohibited from accepting anonymous donations valued at more than €126.97, foreign donations of any value and donations with a value in excess of the prescribed maximum limit (€2,539.48 from the same donor in the same calendar year).

A donation is defined in the Act as a contribution for political purposes and can include money, property, goods or the free or below cost use of goods, property or services. A donation also includes the net value of a contribution to a fund-raising event.

Further information for MEPs on the obligations arising under the Act is available in the following documents:

• Guidelines for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and Representatives in the European Parliament on steps to be taken concerning donations and prohibited donations.
• Guidelines for the European Parliament election of 11 June 2004.