Áras hopefuls’ use of State funds on PR offers first chance to scrutinise records

THEY are the wouldbe presidential contenders considering entering the battle to end Michael D Higgins’s tenure in Áras an Uachtaráin.

Newly released records show that three Independent senators – Joan Freeman, Gerard Craughwell and Pádraig Ó Céidigh – spent thousands of euro in State funding on the likes of public relations, policy advice and entertainment last year.

If the race for the Park is anything like the 2011 election, it will be a bruising experience for the senators looking to succeed Mr Higgins.

Their record in public life will be subject to in-depth examination – as it should be for anyone seeking election to the highest office in the land.

The release of details of how they spent their State-funded Parliamentary Activities Allowance (PAA) provides perhaps the first opportunity to do this.

All Independent senators are entitled to an annual allowance of €21,045 under the PAA scheme.

Senator Joan Freeman – who founded the suicide prevention charity Pieta House – listed expenditure of €22,707 in 2017, the most of any non-party Seanad member.

Some of this sum came from funds carried over from the previous year.

All of it was spent under a category that allows for “specialist advice” for parliamentary initiatives. A total of €14,265 was spent on PR company Stillwater Communications.

There was also €300 paid to Ms Freeman’s sister, the communications guru and former RTÉ quiz show presenter Theresa Lowe.

Ms Freeman said her sister was hired to help advise the parents of children with experience of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services ahead of presentations in the Seanad. She said these public consultation events contributed to the drafting of mental health legislation.

Ms Lowe (inset, bottom) said a “nominal fee” was charged to cover her costs as she fully supports Ms Freeman’s work to improve mental health services. She added: “Senator Freeman is coincidentally my sister, of whom I am most proud.”

Ms Freeman (inset, top) said the PAA funding helped cover the cost of her work on the two public consultation days and said she contributed money from her own pocket to the project.

She said her 2018 PAA budget has “hardly been touched” and will be returned at the end of the year. She said that since being appointed to the Seanad she has donated her net salary – amounting to more than €41,000 – to Pieta House.

Former teaching union head Mr Craughwell has been a thorn in the side of Mr Higgins for months, claiming a delay in the President announcing his intentions has made it difficult for others to enter the field. Mr Higgins has rejected this accusation and did so again as he made his announcement last week.

Mr Craughwell spent €21,293 under the PAA allowance, the second highest sum, again including some funds carried over from 2016.

He listed spending of €1,890 on “PR training” and €15,480 on “policy formation”. Last night, he offered no further details on either item of expenditure. He did insist that his PAA spending was in line with Standards in Public Office Commission rules.

Aer Arann founder Mr Ó Céidigh spent a total of €5,676 last year – €22,595 in available unused funds from previous years carries over into 2018. He spent €2,665 on “entertainment”, listing several meetings, lunches and dinners with members of the public.

Last night, he said some of this would have been meals for groups visiting Leinster House, including some who were meeting him due to his former role as the chairman of the Oireachtas committee that examined the future of water charges. He is still considering whether or not to enter the presidential race, and said: “I hope to make a decision next week.”

With Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour supporting Mr Higgins – and Sinn Féin today expected to make a decision on whether to run its own candidate – it remains to be seen if any of the senators will be able to get a nomination.

They face an uphill struggle to win the support of either 20 Oireachtas members or the backing of four local authorities. They will have to be prepared for intense scrutiny of their records if they manage it.