Campaigns for MEP seats ‘will cost 100k’

Candidates in European elections will need €100,000 for campaigns following radical boundary changes, said Environment Minister Phil Hogan.

Mr Hogan, a key Fine Gael election strategist, said candidates would need to run presidential- style campaigns and that his party wanted to win five of the 11 MEP seats.

Ireland lost a seat due to the accession of Croatia to the EU and Ireland’s MEP constituencies have been cut to three: the South; Midlands-Northwest; and Dublin.