Time was when the major political parties would throw upwards of £50,000 into a crucial by-election. No more. On Wednesday, Dublin North and Limerick East go to the polls to replace Ray Burke and the late Jim Kemmy and for the first time the Electoral Act is in operation. That means a cap on spending of £17,000 in four-seater Dublin North and £20,000 in five-seater Limerick East.
Fair enough sums at first glance - and ones which the smaller parties and independents have little difficulty in observing. But for the bigger parties running a huge machine - and much is at stake next week - the cap is no small problem.
To avoid possible fines and prosecutions, and more likely a disastrous challenge to the result, the party officers had to draw up strict budgets. Posters, leaflets and telephones as well as rent of hotels, overnights, meals and drinks for canvassers were alloted funds. Party political broadcasts also had to be factored in - but their cost is akin to asking how long is a piece of string - for £10,000 you get super aerial and outdoor shots; for next to nothing you get a voice broadcast in an RTE studio. Receipts may be required, so strict monitoring is necessary.
This is the first test of the new Act. The Public Office Commission is having huge difficulty interpreting it and it is likely to be amended in time. The main problem, of little relevance to by-elections, is that the Act appears to state that a candidate starts spending on the next election from the minute he was elected at the last. This means that those entering the race late, say even six months ahead of an election - let alone a couple of weeks - have a spending advantage.
Meanwhile two Senators appear to be ahead in both constituencies, Sean Ryan (Lab) in Dublin and Mary Jackman (FG) in Limerick. Whatever this means for the Government, and it's not good, their election would precipitate two Seanad by-elections. Hot on their heels are Sandra Marsh (FF) and Jan O'Sullivan (Lab) in Limerick and Michael Kennedy (FF) in Dublin. It's going to be close.