Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total funding allocated under the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2001 to the qualifying parties in each of the past 10 years broken down by party; and the way in which the underlining rate applying to allocations under this Act has changed in each of these years. [12255/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Responsibility for the Electoral Acts is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Under section 17 of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended by section 50(c) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, provision is made for two payments to be made to qualified political parties.

Section 17(1)(a) of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, provides for a fixed payment of €126,973.81 to be made to each qualified party in each period of 12 months.

Section 17(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, provides for an annual sum to be shared among qualified political parties. When introduced in 2001, the legislation provided for this sum to be shared to amount to €3,809,214 (£3,000,000). In accordance with the legislation, the sum was increased in line with general increases in Civil Service remuneration, as set out in Appendix 1. The current sum shared amongst qualified parties amounts to €4,948,201.68, and €5,456,096.88 when the fixed amount referred to above is included.

Payments are calculated on the basis of the share of first preference votes obtained by an individual qualified party at the previous general election. These shares are calculated by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The variable percentages applicable in the time frame requested by the Deputy, are set out in Appendix 2.

Payments under the Electoral Acts are made from the Central Fund. The annual amounts paid to each party for the period requested by the Deputy are as set out in the tables in Appendix 3.

Appendix 1

Rates of the first preference votes payments under section 17(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended by section 50(c ) of the 2001 Act