Campaigners to spend €700,000 on marriage referendum

The main political parties and campaign groups intend to spend almost €700,000 in the run-up to the same-sex marriage referendum vote.

The campaign is expected to be fully up and running next week, with the Labour Party launching its campaign on Sunday and Fine Gael on Monday.

The biggest spender on the Yes side will be the Yes Equality group, the umbrella organisation largely leading the campaign in favour of same-sex marriage.

A spokeswoman said it is hoping to raise between €250,000 and €300,000, with half that amount already collected “through personal donations from Irish citizens and fundraisers across the country, including table quizzes, tea parties and nightclubs”.

She said the money raised is being spent on leaflets, posters and other campaign materials that are being distributed across every county by the 48 local Yes Equality groups.

Canvassers

Two print runs, totalling 800,000 leaflets, have already been distributed to canvassers.

Yes Equality is also organising a bus tour through a crowd-funding initiative, where about €40,000 has been raised to date.

The main group on the No side, Mothers and Fathers Matter, hopes to spend €150,000 during the course of the campaign, according to spokesman Keith Mills.

Mr Mills said €85,000 had been raised so far and spent on leaflets and 10,000 posters on three different themes. The themes stress the importance of mothers and fathers, while also highlighting civil partnerships already exist and raising concerns about surrogacy.

Mr Mills said other smaller groups would also campaign for a No vote, some through websites and social media.

Campaign literature

Fine Gael will spend €100,000, with 10,000 posters and 500,000 pieces of campaign literature being printed. “We also have a sustained digital media campaign,” a spokesman said.

Labour plans to spend €80,000 on 11,000 posters and 350,000 leaflets.

A Fianna Fáil spokesman said the party had not finalised its spend as the campaign was still ongoing, but it would be printing 6,000 posters and 100,000 leaflets.

Sinn Féin says it will “campaign vigorously” in support of a Yes vote in the same-sex marriage referendum.

It intends to distribute 500,000 leaflets in door-to-door canvasses.

It is understood neither Fine Gael nor Labour will spend money on the referendum to reduce the age of eligibility for presidential candidates.