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# spare a fiver
A LOT more money is donated to the Socialists than Sinn Féin or Fianna Fáil
It could be linked to the anti-water charge movement.
FIGURES RELEASED BY the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) show that political parties disclosed donations worth €166,392 for 2014.
Fine Gael disclosed €102,567, with the Socialist Party dislosing the next highest amount: €30,405.
Fianna Fáil was the only major party not to receive a donation above €1,500 – the threshold at which contributions must be declared publicly.
Donations disclosed came to the following total amounts:
No other party disclosed any donations in 2014.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was one of several TDs who made a financial donation to Fine Gael – €1,686.
TDs Paul Murphy and Joe Higgins made respective donations of €2,500 and €1,700 to the Anti-Austerity Alliance. The pair also made donations to the Socialist Party (€2,496 and €2,500). TD Joan Collins donated €2,500 to the United Left Alliance.
Trade unions Siptu and TSSA both made donations of €2,500 to Labour.
There were 18 political parties registered during 2014 to contest Dáil or European elections. Each of these parties was required to furnish a donation statement in respect of 2014 to Sipo by 31 March 2015.
The maximum value of donations which a political party could accept from the same donor in the same year was €2,500.
Four parties (Communist Party of Ireland, Direct Democracy Ireland, Independents for Equality Movement and the Workers’ Party) failed to furnish the required documentation to the commission by the specified date.
Of these four, Direct Democracy Ireland has not yet submitted the required statutory documentation and the commission referred a file on the matter to the gardaí on 1 May.
A full breakdown of donations received is available here.
Read: Two TDs reported to gardaí after failing to disclose political donations on time
Read: Bertie’s old office sold to help pay off Fianna Fáil’s debts
