James Reilly: "I declared everything honestly"

Fri, 13 Jan, 2017 - 10:37

Update: Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly has spoken on the Sean O’Rourke show on RTE radio one about the donation fiasco.

Speaking to Sean O’Rourke Mr Reilly said: "I declared everything honestly."

Mr Reilly said he gave back €800 in cash to the person who donated €1,000.

Mr Reilly said he would prefer not to be having this conversation with Sean O’Rourke on national radio but "It is what it is."

Mr Reilly said he didn’t realise the limit on the donations at the time.

He called it an oversight and said it was no one’s fault but himself.

The person who donated the money is a close neighbour as well as a friend.

Mr O’Reilly said he did not realise there was a problem until his wife heard the news on the radio and he checked his phone which had a number of missed calls and texts.

Earlier: Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly has been referred to the Gardaí for failing to prove an excess donation was returned to a donor.

The Standards in Public Office Commission has sent 66 files to the Gardaí in relation to possible breaches of laws and regulations around elections.

They found almost €8.4m was spent by candidates and political parties during the 2016 general election.

Fine Gael spent the most at €2.77m, more than €1m above their nearest rival Fianna Fáil, who footed a €1.69m bill.

The Fine Gael deputy leader is among 66 people referred to Gardaí by the Standards in Public Office Commission, according to its general election report this morning.

He accepted €1,000 in cash donations from a donor in his home town of Lusk, during the campaign last February.

While personal donations of €1,000 are allowed, cash donations are limited to €200 and Reilly has so far been unable to show that the excess donation was returned.

The Senator and former minister could not be contacted this morning.

The report also outlines the spending by major parties in the election - Fine Gael topped the list spending €2.7 million, with Fianna Fáil spending €1.7m, and Labour spending nearly €1.1 million.

Sinn Féin spent just over €650,000 on its campaign - the Anti-Austerity Alliance People Before Profit spent just over €5,000.