The report from the Standards in Public Office Commission also reveals that 66 files, including one from a local unsuccessful candidate have been sent Gardaí over possible breaches of laws around elections.
Overall €8.4 million was spent on the General Election in February 2016 – down 9.5 percent from 2011
Here in Tipperary that figure stands at over 283 thousand Euro between the 13 candidates who stood in the constituency. The Premier also had the biggest Election Agent spend at €263 thousand.
Nationwide 66 candidates were referred by SIPO to Gardai for failure to submit the mandatory documentation around expenses – The most high profile figure of these was the deputy leader of Fine Gael – Senator James Reilly who accepted a thousand euro in cash donations from a donor in his home town of Lusk, during the campaign last February.
While personal donations of a thousand euro ARE allowed, cash donations are limited to 200 euro – and Reilly has so far been unable to show that the excess donation was returned.
Here in Tipperary – Independent candidate from Portroe Michael Dillion was referred to gardaí too for a failure to return the required documentation.
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 thousand euro.
