COSTS:THE COST of the presidential election is set to exceed €20 million because of the large number of candidates standing for election.
Internal estimates by the Department of Finance suggest it will cost the taxpayer at least €7.5 million to deliver election leaflets on behalf of candidates to the estimated three million voters.
But with seven candidates now in the race for the Áras, the figure is set to climb even higher.
Each candidate is entitled by law to send a single piece of election literature to each voter without charge. An Post is then reimbursed by the exchequer.
In total, the taxpayer faces footing the bill for some 21 million pieces of election literature which will be posted to each voter before polling day. For example, a household with four people of voting age will receive a total of 28 leaflets.
In addition, a total of €14 million has been set aside to pay the expenses of running the election, such as the counting of votes and transportation of ballot boxes.
The high cost of postal charges has been a concern within government before. In the 2007 general election, the cost to the State for posting candidates’ election material, as well as ballot papers, was just under €15 million. A similar figure was set aside for these costs in the general election this year.
The Department of Finance says it has secured a bulk discount with An Post for posting documents, which works out as an 11 per cent reduction overall.
Independent candidate Seán Gallagher has said millions of euro could be saved if all presidential candidates issued a joint postal message during the campaign.
“In the dim and distant past – when the post was effectively the only way to communicate a democratic message – it made sense. Nowadays, it does not,” Mr Gallagher has said.
“For instance, the 90,000 registered voters in Dublin South will each generate 630,000 separate leaflet drops through their letterboxes in the run up to the election. One leaflet, detailing all of the candidates, makes sense.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance said, however, such a move was likely to require a change in legislation and it was too late to draw up new arrangements.
Some steps have been taken to reduce costs in recent years. In the second Lisbon referendum in 2009, officials saved the taxpayer almost €2 million by attaching a statement of information on the issue to the polling cards.
Last year Government officials drew up other options to save money on future electoral costs. However, no action was taken.
One of the options examined included abolishing free post by repealing the relevant legislation. This could only be done if supported by the Government.
Among other options examined by the group included:
Sending a single booklet to each household containing information on all candidates, instead of individual election literature;
Delivering election literature to each household in a constituency rather than each voter under a “voluntary code of practice” among candidates and parties;
Co-ordinating the delivery of election literature so it all arrives on the same day.
