FF tops election spending with €3.6m

Fianna Fáil has topped a list of election spending released by the Standards in Public Office Commission today.

The party spent €3,650,240.55 during the May election campaign this year, compared to €2,809,474.25 spent by Fine Gael, the next biggest spender.

The Labour Party spent €1,477,321.48; the Progressive Democrats spent €1,012,707.52; Sinn Féin spent €685,095.66; and the Green Party used €553,858.70.

Non-party candidates spent €795,862.25; the Socialist Party spent €56,125.49; and the Workers' Party €30,200.14. The bottom of the list was the Christian Solidarity Party, which spent €11,427.06

In total, expenses of €11.08 million were incurred by parties during the campaign, representing a 20 per cent increase on the 2002 election.

The election period began with the dissolution of the Dáil on April 29th and ended on polling day, May 24th. The Commission has urged a review of the duration of the election campaign to avoid the "frontloading" of election expenditure.

The standards commission said 13 files had been sent to the Garda for alleged breaches of the Electoral Act. Nine of these were for a failure by unsuccessful candidates to send in a donation statement, which was required by July 19th.

Successful candidates have until the end of January to hand over donations statements to the Commission.

Three of the 13 files were in relation to a failure give an election expenses statement and one was in relation to a failure by a candidate to provide relevant documentation to her election agent.

Donations with a total value of €531,379.82 were disclosed by 103 unsuccessful candidates, while 196 unsuccessful candidates returned a "nil" statement.

The unsuccessful candidates who disclosed the highest donations were:

• Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin South East, €38,250.00;
• Pat Fitzgerald (FF), Wicklow, €32,820.00 (of which €2,461 was returned to donor);
• Nicky Kelly (Lab), Wicklow, €24,217.96;
• Jim Ryan (NP) Tipperary North €22,672.30;
• John Bailey (FG), Dún Laoghaire, €18,500.00;
• Martin Brady (FF), Dublin North East, €16,450.00;
• Eugene Regan (FG), Dún Laoghaire €15,135.00;
• Alex White (Lab). Dublin South €14,000.00;
• Fidelma Healy-Eames (FG), Galway West, €13,270.00;
• Pat Doran (NP), Wicklow, €11,250.00.