€13.5m in State funds given to parties last year

The Standards in Public Office Commission says more than €13.5m in state funding was handed over to Ireland's political parties last year.

The body says the six main parties received €5.6m under the Electoral Acts and another €8.1m under the Party Leaders' Allowance legislation.

Independent TDs and Senators received a total of almost €362,000 in 2008.