Sinn Féin admits it failed to declare six separate election events in 2016 returns

Sinn Féin has admitted it failed to declare six separate events in its 2016 (Sipo) returns. Picture: Brian Lawless

Sinn Féin has admitted it failed to declare six separate events it held during the 2016 election campaign in its Standards in Public Office (Sipo) returns.

The omission of the election expenses, totaling €2,160, means the party will now have to resubmit its Sipo return.

The party had declared no spending on media engagement during the 2016 election, but registered €20,000 in such spending in 2020.

A spokesperson said the expenses of €2,160.70, were for six press events held at The Westin Hotel, (€360), Wynns Hotel (€397.20), Royal Irish Academy (RIA) (€600), The Gresham Hotel (€250), and the National Gallery (€553.50) during the 2016 election. 

The spokesperson said that all invoices, bar that for the Royal Irish Academy, were paid at the time. The invoice in respect of the Royal Irish Academy has now been paid.

 “Sinn Féin held 23 press events during the 2016 general election campaign. The vast majority of these were held at party headquarters or in outdoor public spaces. However, six press conferences were held at other indoor venues. Their use should have been included in our election return seven years ago. We regret that they were not. The total value of the hire of these venues was €2,160.70. All these invoices, bar one, were paid at the time. The remaining invoice has now been paid. 

Our election return will be amended as appropriate and returned to Sipo. The maximum amount permitted to be spent by Sinn Féin in the 2016 general election campaign, per SIPO rules, was €229,000 at a national level. Even with the addition of these invoices, Sinn Féin’s election expenses were less than a third of this amount.

Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty said Sinn Féin must explain how the expenses for the events were left off the party’s returns.

“The fact that Sinn Féin has admitted they will now have to amend their 2016 returns just raises more and more questions. ” Ms Doherty said.

“Sinn Féin had two events at the RIA in February 2016 as part of their General Election campaign. At their manifesto launch, Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and Gerry Adams spoke about ‘ detailed, fully costed and realistic proposals’ but they never even paid a €600 invoice for the room hire.

“This is farcical. And they want to manage the country’s finances.”