Politics online: Small party, big online reach for Social Democrats

Social media is one of few places where smaller parties and independent candidates can level the playing field, says Stephen Donnelly of the Social Democrats.

His attitude to online interaction with and canvassing of voters is: “Do lots of it.”

While the four main political parties receive millions of euro in funding each year, smaller groupings or Independents do not get money under the annual party grant because they did not reach a 2% threshold in the 2011 election.