Fine Gael's €1m European election spend outstrips other parties

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh spent €200,049 securing a seat in last year's European elections.

Fine Gael spent more than any other party by a large margin in the 2019 European elections.

Fine Gael won five seats across the country in May last year and The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) report states that the party spent €1,041,846 overall, including national party expenditure and candidate expenditure. Fine Gael also spent the most on advertising at €207,237.

Fianna Fáil, who won two seats, spent €794,768, and Sinn Féin, who lost two seats and retained one, spent €308,667 overall and €130,165 on advertising.

Fine Gael also led in the reported expenditure by candidates, with €350,809 spent, around seven times the amount reported by Sinn Féin's candidates on €46,606 and two-and-a-half times Fianna Fáil's €134,573 spend.

Fianna Fáil led in the expenditure by political parties on candidates, spending €609,458 to Fine Gael's €599,668. The Green Party, who won two seats, spent €23,001. The Labour Party, who failed to win a seat, spent €158,484 on candidates, and Sinn Féin spent €233,924.

Independent candidate, Peter Casey, who stood in the Midlands-North-West constituency after his failed presidential campaign, did not receive any donations, but incurred €50,301 in election expenses and was reimbursed €38,092 — this is the maximum amount of reimbursement of election expenses that a qualifying candidate may claim. Twenty-three candidates received reimbursement.

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh incurred the largest election expenses from the 23, spending €200,049.

Labour's Dominic Hannigan, who was not successful, received a donation of €950 from Siptu, while his colleague Alex White received a number of donations from associates based in the Law Library.