Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

545. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what research was undertaken by his Department in advance of his decision to increase the spending limits for Dáil elections; if his officials examined whether candidates at the last Dáil elections were in danger of breaching the previous spending limits, and to outline any such evidence; to list all third party organisations or bodies he consulted or received representations from before increasing the spending limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44093/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) provides the statutory framework for dealing with political financing and sets out the regulatory regime covering a wide range of inter-related issues such as, among other matters, the reimbursement of election expenses; the establishment of election expenditure limits and the disclosure of election expenditure.

Under section 3 of the Electoral Act 1997, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has the power to vary many of the various monetary amounts specified in the Act, including the reimbursement amount and the spending limits applicable to Dáil and European Parliament elections, with reference to changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Typically, the reimbursement amount and the spending limits applicable to Dáil elections are reviewed by my Department in advance of each general election. As part of the review process, my Department examines a number of issues, including the election expenses statements submitted by candidates at the preceding Dáil election, the length of time that has elapsed since the reimbursement amount and spending limits were last revised as well as the actual change that has taken place in the Consumer Price Index since the amounts were last amended.

Against this background, during the recent review, the data clearly showed that inflation, as measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index, had increased significantly over the period since the last revisions took place and that it had been more than seventeen years since the amounts were last amended. There was, therefore, a strong case to amend the reimbursement amount and the spending limits to reflect the current costs associated with campaigning.

The Electoral Act 1997 (Variation of Monetary Amounts) Order 2024 (S.I. No. 545 of 2024), which I made on 18 October 2024, increases the spending limits and the reimbursement amount applicable to Dáil elections having regard to changes in the Consumer Price Index since those figures were last revised in March 2007.

The application of this change in the Consumer Price Index raises the reimbursement amount to €11,200 and the spending limits to €38,900 in a 3-seat constituency, €48,600 in a 4-seat constituency and €58,350 in a 5-seat constituency respectively.