TDs face legal action on right to hold seats

THREE candidates who were narrowly defeated in the general election are considering legal challenges against any TDs found to have broken official election spending limits.

This follows a Supreme Court ruling yesterday which found that election spending guidelines were biased in favour of sitting politicians as they did not have to include in their spending returns the cost of free Dáil facilities such as envelopes, telephones and secretarial work.

Anyone now found to have spent over the legal election limit for their constituencies could have their Dáil seats challenged and face prosecution for overspending.