Fine Gael is to undertake its first fund-raising trip to the United States next week to help boost finances ahead of the general election.
It is understood that Fianna Fáil is also preparing to hold a fund-raising dinner in New York during St Patrick's week if it can get a permit to do so in time to coincide with a visit by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
A Fine Gael spokesman told The Irish Times last night that party leader Enda Kenny would be hosting a $150-a-plate gala dinner for between 150 and 200 guests in the trendy Harbour Lights restaurant in Manhattan on March 8th.
Mr Kenny is incorporating the "Inaugural Gala Fund-raising Dinner" into his scheduled visit to New York to receive the Mayo Society's Mayo Man of the Year award on March 10th.
The idea of raising funds in America emerged when Mr Kenny visited the US last autumn and some Irish-American Fine Gael supporters suggested it. The party has successfully been through the legal process involved to allow it to raise funds there. To do so, political parties have to comply with US federal law and Irish electoral law. There are strict rules governing donations to political parties by people in other countries. Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) regulations state that parties must not accept a donation from an individual other than an Irish citizen who resides abroad.
A donation cannot be accepted from a company that does not have an office in Ireland from which at least one of its principal activities is directed.
A Fine Gael spokesman said that, to comply with the law, the party had registered a company, Supporters of Fine Gael Incorporated, with the state department. The event will raise more than $20,000. In total, the party will spend more than €3 million on the general election campaign.
Fianna Fáil has not been raising funds in the US for a number of years and it is understood that it is hoping to host a dinner in New York on March 13th to coincide with the start of the Taoiseach's annual St Patrick's week visit. A number of Irish people in New York have indicated that they would support a Fianna Fáil fund-raising dinner.
Sinn Féin has successfully raised funds in the US and can spend the money in Northern Ireland without having to worry about the Sipo rules. It is estimated that it has raised more than €5 million in the US since 1995, when former president Bill Clinton lifted a ban on its fund-raising there. US department of justice figures show that in the 12 months to April 2006 the party raised $564,000 (€430,000).