Taxpayers fork out €14m to fund political parties
The Standards Commission watchdog stated that parties were given €12,963,160, while independent Oireachtas members obtained just under €1m.
As funding is weighted towards size, Fine Gael took the most at €4.9m, with Labour behind on €3m.
Fianna Fáil was given €2.8m, Sinn Féin €1.8m, the People Before Profit Alliance €143,040 and the Socialist Party €137,080.
The Party Leader’s Allowance funding saw Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, People Before Profit Alliance, and the Socialists take €7,507,063 combined.
Independent members of the Dáil were paid €41,152 each and non-party Senators €23,383.
The four big parties FG, Labour, FF, and SF also got Electoral Acts monies of €5,456,097 as part of the State funding system.
