CANDIDATES IN next June’s local election will be subject to spending limits of €7,500 – €15,000, Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said. It is the first time that limits have been applied in local elections.
The period covered will be the 60 days leading up to polling day, which is double the period that applies in general elections.
Mr Gormley told a press conference in Government Buildings yesterday that legislation giving effect to the decision would be introduced shortly. The Bill will need to be enacted by April 4th if the 60-day period for the spending limits are to apply.
No restrictions will apply to electoral spending until then. Mr Gormley said he was introducing the measure because in previous local elections when there were no limits, candidates were spending excessive amounts.
Senator Eugene Regan of Fine Gael spent the highest amount in the local elections five years ago. He spent almost €45,000 in his successful campaign for a seat in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. He said that only €500 of the total amount was donated.
Spending was generally higher in Dublin in the 2004 elections. Others big spenders in the capital included Niall Ring (FF), who spent €28,000; Tony Williams (PDs), who spent €18,949; Alex White (Lab), who spent €14,640; Jim Daly (FF), at €13,550; Cllr John Hannon (FF), at €12,711 and Cllr John Lahart (FF), at €12,324.
Mr Gormley said that he was introducing the Bill to bring a measure of equity to local elections. He said the absence of limits was an anomaly that could not continue. “Others felt rightly that a level playing field did not exist. This measure introduces an element of fairness into the local elections,” he said.
The spending limit for candidates contesting elections in the 34 county and city councils will depend on the population of the electoral area in which they stand.
Those in the most populated areas will be entitled to spend up to €15,000, with smaller limits of €13,000, €11,500, and €9,500 respectively applying to proportionately smaller electoral areas.
There will be a standard limit of €7,500 for all candidates contesting elections for the 80 borough and town councils. They could not vary the limits for these elections for legal and logistical reasons, said the Minister.
Mr Gormley accepted that this measure would possibly suit the Green Party because it did not indulge in excessive spending.
Some 10 per cent of the money allowed for the candidate can be allotted for use by the party nationally. That can be varied upwards if there is written agreement between the candidate and the party.
Labour’s spokesman on local government, Ciarán Lynch, said that the measures announced yesterday would have a limited impact.
“I believe that the 60-day lead-in time during which these limits will apply is far too short. Given that unlike general elections, local elections are at a fixed interval, campaigns have become longer and longer, and the amount of activity and spending that actually takes place in the last eight weeks is relatively small.
“These proposals put no restrictions whatsoever in place in relation to spending before that date,” he said.
Mr Gormley also published a report he commissioned on the establishment of an electoral commission in Ireland. The preliminary report, written by members of the political department at UCD, recommends a commission that would be responsible for maintaining the electoral register and the register of political parties, for drawing up constituency boundaries and administering the election.
It also recommended that a single body should combine the functions performed by the Standards in Public Office Commission and the Registrar of Political Parties, and that this body would oversee party and election funding.
The Minister said consultation would not take place on the report with a view to publishing legislation. The setting up of an electoral commission is included in the programme for government.
