Politicians risk prosecution over donation files

New figures from the State’s ethics watchdog reveal that €17,000 in political donations were declared by TDs, senators and MEPs for the whole of last year.

The Standards in Public Office (Sipo) yesterday also revealed that 14 parliamentary members had failed to file their donation statements on time or had not filed any. The statements are the first since new donation levels were introduced last year which require amounts received which are greater than €600 to be disclosed by parliamentarians.

The maximum donation that can be accepted by a TD, senator or MEP in a particular year from a person is now €1,000.

Members who failed to file statements by the required date, or did not file any, included Fine Gael TDs Pat Deering, Pat Breen, Ciaran Cannon, Liam Twomey and MEP Sean Kelly. Labour TDs Michael Conaghan, Michael McNamara and senator James Heffernan also did not. Another member is very ill.

Other members who filed late or failed to furnish statements included Fianna Fáil senators Brían Ó Domhnaill, Mary White, TD Charlie McConalogue and Independents John Halligan and Michael -Healy Rae.

Of the donations declared by parliamentarians, €1,000 was disclosed by TD Niall Collins, €1,000 by TD Paschal Donohoe, €12,000 by Senator Rónán Mullen and €3,000 by MEP Paul Murphy.

Under donation rules members are prohibited from accepting foreign donations.

Senator Mullen received a €1,000 donation from Palm Beach, Florida. But he said this was from an Irish citizen, which is allowed under the Sipo rules.

Sipo said yesterday that it would “in due course” refer those members who had failed to make a return to it to the DPP or gardaí for possible prosecution. Politicians found guilty of an offence under the rules can face a fine of €1,269 or conviction. No one has ever been fined or convicted under those Sipo rules.