Candidates spent €4m in June elections

INVESTING heavily in the European elections paid off for Fine Gael, but money was no guarantee of success in the campaign.

Just over €4 million was spent by the 44 candidates and seven political parties who contested June’s European election.

Although Fianna Fáil spent more in total, almost €1.3m or €161,000 on average for its eight candidates, Fine Gael spent more per candidate, an average of €190,000 on its six candidates or €1.1m overall. Five Fine Gael MEPs were successful, while Fianna Fáil got just four MEPs elected.

In putting its election strategy together, Fine Gael also spent €32,000 on market research, three times more than Fianna Fáil, and relied more on advertising than election posters.

The lowest spend by an elected candidate was by Independent Munster MEP Kathy Sinnott at €49,000. Despite spending four times that amount at €197,000, Fianna Fáil Royston Brady’s lost out.

The former Lord Mayor of Dublin also received the largest amount in donations of the unsuccessful candidates at €41,000.

The largest spend on an individual was invested in successful Fine Gael MEP Máiréad McGuinness, whose campaign cost €225,000, and she subsequently topped the poll in the East constituency candidate.

Figures from the Standards in Public Office Commission show the second-highest amount was spent on her party colleague, Gay Mitchell, who spent €223,500, and also topped the poll in Dublin. Next in line were fellow Dublin MEPs, Labour’s Proinsias de Rossa on €206,000 and Fianna Fáil’s Eoin Ryan on €198,000.

Labour and its candidates spent €715,000, Sinn Féin spent €314,000, the Green Party spent €200,000.

Of the independent candidates, Connaught-Ulster MEP Marian Harkin spent the most by forking out €88,000.

The figures released yesterday shows Fianna Fáil’s Gerry Collins spent €146,500, yet lost out, while his running mate Brian Crowley spent only €121,500. Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney was the top spender in Munster with €177,000.

Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald spent €112,000 in taking a seat in Dublin from the Green Party’s Patricia McKenna, who spent €88,000.

Unsuccessful candidates received donations worth €121,000 but elected MEPs don’t have to declare the donations they got until next year.

Over €1m will now be paid from the exchequer to 27 candidates who qualified for a reimbursement of election expenses.

All elected candidates and those who achieved one-quarter of the quota are eligible for reimbursement of election expenses, so of the 27 candidates falling into this category, all but one qualify for the maximum reimbursement of just over €38,000.

SIPO has asked the Garda Síochána to investigate the failure of the independent Gerard Hannan to provide a donation statement. Along with another independent, Brendan Price from Dublin, Mr Hannan, a candidate in Munster and based in Limerick, also did not provide a spending record.

The failure of the election agent for Fine Gael’s Madeleine Taylor Quinn to furnish an election expenses statement also resulted in the Garda Síochána being contacted, but the statement was eventually furnished to SIPO on October 27.