€500k for PDs despite wind down

THE Progressive Democrats got almost €500,000 in state funding last year, including €21,000 for “personal expenditure” for its four parliamentary party members, despite deciding to wind down the party in October.

The funding was part of €14 million paid by tax payers to fund the activities of six political parties, which is separate from the money they get from private donors.

Fine Gael spent more than €250,000 on private polling in 2008 according to details released under a report by the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission. None of the other parties had any spending on polling because it was not an election year.