The largest individual contributor to political parties last year was the businessman Mr Denis O'Brien, who gave a total of £150,000, according to figures released by the Public Offices Commission yesterday.
The commission published details of the political donations received by the parties in 2000. Donations of more than £4,000 must be declared. Fianna Fail declared by far the largest number, receiving money from 17 companies and individuals totalling £152,455.
Mr O'Brien gave £50,000 each to Fianna Fail, the Progressive Democrats and Fine Gael. This was the only donation registered with the commission by Fine Gael for the year. Apart from the donations by Mr O'Brien, the largest donation by a company was £10,000 to Fianna Fail from the Cantrell & Cochrane Group Ltd. Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats were the only two parties declaring donations from companies.
The Progessive Democrats received £65,259 from three donors. Mr O'Brien gave the party £50,000; Mr Thomas J. Moran, a New York businessman, gave £9,264; and Precision Software Ltd, a Dublin-based company, donated £5,995.
According to the Sinn Fein statement, the party's TD, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain, gave £16,000. The "Friends of Sinn Fein USA" gave $44,926, and "Friends of Sinn Fein Australia" gave £4,806.
SIPTU made the third biggest donation of £28,721 through affiliation fees to the Labour Party, and the party's MEP, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, gave £18,000.
All four of the Green Party donations declared were from party members. MEPs Ms Nuala Ahern and Ms Patricia McKenna gave £7,170, and party TDs Mr Trevor Sargent and Mr John Gormley each gave over £3,000.
Socialist Party TD Mr Joe Higgins gave his party £12,000.
Fianna Fail was the only party to declare donations from a number of building companies - £4,000 from Ballymore Properties Ltd, £7,500 from Castle Market Holdings, £5,500 from associated companies DCD Builders and Mountbrook Homes Ltd, £5,500 from Durkan New Homes, £6,000 from MW Homes Ltd, £4,600 from Murnane and O'Shea Ltd, £6,000 from Spencer Dock Development, and £4,250 from P.J. Hegarty & Sons.
Each of the 15 registered political parties are required under the Electoral Act, 1997, to furnish a donation statement to the commission indicating whether any donations exceeding £4,000 were received. Parties are not required to disclose donations valued at £4,000 or less.
A supplementary donation statement was received by the commission from Fianna Fail for donations made in 1998 and 1999.
They should have been included in those donation statements but were omitted.
After considering the matter the Commission said it was satisfied the Act was not contravened by a false or misleading statement being "knowingly" furnished.
"The commission is satisfied that the appropriate officer took all reasonable action to ensure the accuracy of the donation statements."
The commission also released details of spending by political parties of Exchequer funding of £1.08 million which was paid out under the Electoral Act last year.