ALL Dail parties except the Progressive Democrats favour State funding for political parties. Fianna Fail and Labour agreed the present Electoral (Amendment) Bill in 1993. It was adopted by the Fine Gael/Labour Party/Democratic Left Government in 1994 but has languished at Committee Stage for 14 months.
Following the McKenna judgment, the Attorney General advised that sections of it were unconstitutional.
The present system of Dail funding, known as Party Leaders' Allowances, is weighted in favour of the Opposition. It provides £296,745 to Fianna Fail; £147,429 to the Progressive Democrats; £104,804 to Fine Gael and £45,079 to the Labour Party. The other parties get nothing because they have fewer than eight seats.
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