Parties got €13m from Exchequer in 2006

Figures released today show that the six main political parties received nearly €13 million in funding from the Exchequer last year.

Six parties qualify for State funding under the Electoral Acts: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and Sinn Féin. According to figures from the Standards in Public Office Commission, the parties received €5,210,706 under the provisions of this act last year.

According to the Electoral Acts, this funding must be used for "general administration of the party; research, education and training; policy formulation and the co-ordination of the activities of the branches and members of the party".

The six parties are also eligible for the Party Leaders' Allowance, as was the Socialist Party. These allowances totalled €7,517,281 in 2006.

This allowance is intended to be used to pay for expenses arising from the parliamentary activities, including research, of the party.

Fianna Fáil was the largest beneficiary, receiving €4,903,423 in total from the two funds last year. Fine Gael got €3,364,921; Labour was given €2,082,391, and the Progressive Democrats received €835,358. The Green Party got funding of €704,436, with Sinn Féin receiving €773,246.

The Socialist Party's sole TD in the last Dail, Joe Higgins, benefited to the tune of €64,212 last year under the Party Leaders Allowance.

Independent TDs received €514,158 under the Leaders Allowance scheme, while Independents in the Seanad availed of €104,970.

By law, none of the funding is subject to income tax, and it may not be used for electoral or referendum purposes.

Figures for party expenditure show Fianna Fail spent €228,174 of their Party Leaders Allowance on transport for party members last year, compared to €46,959 by Fine Gael, €8,380 by Labour, €885 by the Greens and nil by both the PDs and Sinn Féin. Joe Higgins spent €151 of his allowance on transport.

The PDs were the largest spenders of state money on entertainment, using €5,059 of their grant for the purpose last year. Labour spent €4,107, followed by Fianna Fáil on €2,854. None of the other parties spent any public money on entertainment.