Ireland’s political parties are set to lose or gain State funding – in many cases to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euro per year – due to the outcome of the Dáil and Seanad elections.
The Green Party is in line to lose the most, an estimated €847,500 per year, as a result of its election disaster that saw its Oireachtas presence reduced to just one TD and one senator.
Others such as the Social Democrats and Aontú will see significant increases in State funding.
Sinn Féin will continue to get the most State funding of any of the parties – about €3.85 million per year. However, this is down an estimated €18,600 on the funding it got in 2023 – the most recent figures available – due to its share of the first-preference vote falling in November’s general election.
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The estimated sums are based on the current rates of payment of the two streams of State funding – exchequer funding under the Electoral Act 1997 and the parliamentary activities allowance (PAA)
Political parties qualify for exchequer funding once they get at least 2 per cent of the general election first-preference vote. There are now nine qualifying parties.
The PAA is paid to registered political parties that have at least one TD or senator and payment levels are based on Oireachtas numbers.
Government parties get a reduced per-TD PAA payment due to the Civil Service support available to Ministers.
The sums available in both funding streams have risen over the years in line with general Civil Service pay increases.
Among permitted uses for State funding are general administration of parties, research, training and policy formation.
State funding cannot be used for election expenses.
Overall about €16 million in State funding will be available to political parties this year.
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The Green Party’s 2023 returns to the Standards in Public Office Commission show it got just over €1.3 million that year.
That is set to fall to about €452,570 under the current rates of payment due to its election results.
The Green Party said the election outcome “necessitated a prompt restructuring of the party’s operations requiring a significant reduction in party staff numbers”. It has been “making savings across all parts of the organisation”.
The party is developing a strategic plan focusing on regrowth and “financial sustainability and growing our fundraising capacity will be a key element of this.”
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in line for State funding this year of about €3.8 million and €3.5 million respectively.
Fianna Fáil – set to receive an extra €323,000 – said it “has yet to receive confirmation” of the funding it will get.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael stands to get about €302,000 more per year.
It said the outcome of a recently announced commission on the renewal of Fine Gael “will inform the party’s deployment of resources over the next five years”.
The Labour Party is in line for overall funding of some €1.33 million.
Increasing its Dáil presence to 11 TDs and winning two Seanad seats means the party should get about €257,700 per year more than it got in 2023.
The Social Democrats, meanwhile, are line in to get about €563,670 more per year over the almost €730,900 the party got in 2023 – as a result of almost doubling its number of TDs to 11 and winning a Seanad seat.
The party is in line for €1.29 million in State funding this year.
The Social Democrats said: “There has been no confirmation about levels of State funding yet so no spending decisions have been made.”
Independent Ireland, with four TDs, stands to get an estimated €660,200. The party said it anticipates using funding it receives for “standard parliamentary and party functions” including hiring staff.
Aontú, with two TDs and one senator, is set to receive some €584,755. This is €517,178 more than the €67,577 in PAA funding received in 2023 when it had one TD.
People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Dáil numbers went from five to three in the general election.
It is set to receive €538,258 in State funding this year, down about €103,900 from 2023.
The party says it now employs three fewer people as a result of reduced State funding.
