Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline in detail the political funding to be paid to each qualifying party for 2012, including Leaders’ Allowance, Electoral Act Funding and the qualifying parties’ staffing allocation, with a break-down of the acceptable uses for each fund; the reforms that are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42145/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Party Leader’s Allowance is provided for in the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) Act, 1938, as amended by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act, 2001. The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying party in relation to expenses arising from the parliamentary activities, including research, of the party. A "qualifying party" is defined in the Party Leaders Allowance Act as a political party registered in the Register of Political Parties which contested the last general election or any subsequent by-elections and which had at least one member elected to Dáil Éireann or elected or nominated to Seanad Éireann at that general election or at any subsequent by-election. Payments are made in respect of members of the party elected to Dáil Éireann and members elected/nominated to Seanad Éireann at the last preceding general election, or a subsequent bye-election or, in the case of Seanad Éireann, nominated to it after the last preceding general election.

Under the legislation, the amounts paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying party are calculated on the following basis: