Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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363. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total cost incurred by his Department in holding the two recent referenda and the by-election in the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency; if he will provide, in tabular form, a breakdown of the costs, including costs for staffing both the polling stations and the count centres, as well as all additional costs surrounding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21341/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Referendums on Marriage Equality and Age of Eligibility for election to the Office of President together with the Bye-election in Carlow-Kilkenny were held on the 22nd May, 2015. Returning Officers are required to submit their accounts for the Referendums and bye-election to the Minister for Finance not later than six months after the date on which the poll was conducted and so the total cost of the Referendums and Bye-election is not available at this time.

The estimated cost of the two recent Referendums is €15m. It is expected that breakdown of the cost will be similar to the breakdown of the cost of the Court of Appeal and Abolition of the Seanad Referendums in October 2013. These Referendums cost €14.4m which can be broken down as follows:

- Returning Officer Costs (Poll Clerks, Count etc.) €10.2m 

- Delivery of polling Cards and Ballot Papers €1.4m

- Referendum Commission €2.4m

- Other €0.4m

- Total €14.4m

When a Bye-elections is held on the same day as another election event in that constituency the Bye-election costs will reflect savings from a sharing of people and facilities.