Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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156. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the spending limits in place for candidates in the 2009 local elections; the rebate paid to candidates and the conditions that applied to these rebates; the period before the election to which these spending limits applied; the spending limits, rebates, conditions and period that will apply for the 2014 local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52314/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he will announce the spending limits, details of candidates rebates, period to which the spend will apply for the 2013 local elections; the reason for the delay in announcing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52315/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together.

Provision is made in Part 2 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Bill 2013 for amendments to the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999, ‘the 1999 Act’, to change the spending limit provisions at local elections. This Bill is currently before the Oireachtas.

Spending limits were first introduced for the 2009 local elections and were based on a sliding scale. The relevant provisions are contained in section 12A of the 1999 Act. Depending on the population of the local electoral area in a county or city council the limit is either: €15,000, €13,000, €11,500 or €9,750. All town and borough council electoral areas have the same spending limit of €7,500.

The Local Government Bill 2013 provides for the revision and replacement of the current arrangements, by amending section 12A of the 1999 Act and setting three new population bands with spending limits of €13,000, €11,500 and €9,750, respectively. It is intended that these limits would apply at the 2014 local elections. A summary of the current population bands and spending limits, and the proposed revisions, is set out in the table below.

Section 12B of the 1999 Act provides that the period for the reckoning of election expenses, during which the spending limits apply, is tocommence between 50and 60 days prior topolling day. The date of commencement of the spending period is set out in an order made me, as Minister, before the election. Election spending incurred during this period must be reported to the local authority concerned within 90 days of polling day and must be below the specified limit.

The election spending period for the2009 local elections was specifiedin the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 (Period for the Reckoning of Election Expenses) Order 2009. The period commenced on 7 April 2009, and concluded on polling day, which was 5 June 2009.There is no provision in electoral law for the reimbursement of the election expenses of a candidate at a local election.