SINN FÉIN DID not declare the cost of a poll carried out ahead of the 2020 General Election until January last year, amended declarations to the ethics watchdog have shown.
According to an updated expenses declaration, which was submitted by the party on 11 January 2022, the party spent €6,936 commissioning a poll from London-based pollster Survation in the days ahead of the 2020 General Election.
Under current ethics legislation, political parties are required to detail election expenses to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) in the weeks following polling day.
The poll itself was conducted between 27 January and 2 February, with it initially being publicised by Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin on 5 February.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sinn Féin said: “When submitting returns to SIPO, one invoice was accidentally omitted; due to staff working remotely as a result of public health restrictions.”
“When this came to our attention, the statement was immediately amended and the invoice sent to them.
“Sinn Féin were well within the spending limits laid down for the 2020 general election.”
The party has since been criticised by Fine Gael junior minister Peter Burke, who asked why Sinn Féin had amended their declaration last year.
“I don’t buy this horrendous excuse given today that remote working during the pandemic caused it. That’s rubbish,” Burke said.
“Sinn Féin are absolute hypocrites the way they respond to these issues.”
Burke questioned if Sipo had since taken any action against Sinn Féin for failing to declare the expenses.
It comes as Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe apologised over the weekend for failing to declare a donation of services that he received during the 2016 General Election.
Donohoe has since amended his declarations after a complaint was submitted to Sipo due to the omission.
There have since been calls for Donohoe to make a statement on the matter before the Dáil, which he signalled willingness for over the weekend.
Donohoe was backed today by Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, who said that he had “fully corrected the record” and that he accepted he made a mistake.
There have been calls from the opposition for reform of current ethics legislation and for Sipo to be given additional powers to investigate politicians who fail to provide accurate declarations.
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