Written answers
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Local Elections
Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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527. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he intends to make and publish regulations under the Local Elections Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure Act 1999 regarding allowable election expenditure during the forthcoming 2014 local elections; if he will provide a detailed outline of the forthcoming regulations; if he envisages a similar expenses regime being permitted as was the case that applied during the 2009 local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1670/14]
Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Provision is made in Part 2 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Reform Bill 2013 for amendments to the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 199 9, ‘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 app ly at the 2014 local elections. A summary of the current popul ation bands and spending limits, and the proposed revisions , is set out in the table below.
| Population bands and spending limits at the 2009 local elections | Proposed revisions for the 2014 local elections |
| Local electoral area | Candidate spending limit | Local electoral area | Candidate spending limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population in excess of 32,500 | €15,000 | Population in excess of 35,000 | €13,000 |
| Population between 22,501 and 32,500 | €13,000 | Population between 18,001 and 35,000 | €11,500 |
| Population between 12,001 and 22,500 | €11,500 | Population of 18,000 or less | €9,750 |
| Population of 12,000 or less | €9,750 | ||
| Borough or town council | €7,500 |
The definition of what constitutes ‘election expenses’ is contained in s ection 6 of the 1999 Act, with a description of the relevant expenses that are covered set out in the schedule to the Act. I have no plans to amend this definition in advance of the 2014 local elections.
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