Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No. The Minister is making provision for election expenditure but it is up to the individual candidates if they choose to take up that level. I do not envisage candidates in my constituency taking up a fraction of what is permitted under the legislation. I hope the figures will be re-examined. Personally, I believe they are too high.

There is a lacuna in the legislation. If a third party receives donations and wishes to engage in political spending, it must register with the Standards in Public Office Commission. However, an organisation that does not receive donations and uses its own money for political spending has no obligation to register with the commission. Members will have seen some of the Ryanair advertisements that specifically and deliberately concentrate on a particular politician.

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