No to Nice got €30,000 in donations

JUSTIN BARRETT’S No to Nice campaign received over €30,000 in donations, according to a report from the election watchdog.

Mr Barrett was accused during the Nice referendum of receiving funding from right-wing groups, but the anti-abortion campaigner rejected the allegations. Action from Ireland (Afri) denied receiving donations from Britain for the Nice campaign, despite the claims of Yes campaigners.

The Mother and Child Campaign and Youth Defence, his anti-abortion groups, told the Standards in Public Offices Commission they did not receive any donations more than 127 for the abortion referendum campaign.

The groups headed up by Mr Barrett said, however, they allowed their names to be used on posters put up by the Pro-Life Alliance during the abortion referendum.

The Pro-Life Alliance, which shares the same address at 60a Capel Street, Dublin 1 as the Mother and Child Campaign and Youth Defence, received €25,000 last year in donations. The head of the group was named as Raymond Clare.

Anti-Nice campaigner Anthony Coughlan, head of the National Platform, said he received more than €13,000 in donations for the Nice referendum.