Electric scooters, videos and a bus – how €3m was spent on European election
SLICK campaign videos, media training, make-up and even electric scooter hire were included in more than €3m spent during last year’s European election.
Political parties and independents disclosed the spending to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).
Fine Gael spent just over €1m – a third of the overall amount – on what is viewed as a successful election for the party after it took five seats.
A total of €200,049 was spent on the campaign that saw the surprise Ireland North-West victory by media consultant and former Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh.
The campaign for her constituency running mate – established MEP and European Commissioner designate Mairead McGuinness – cost €60,653.
Ms Walsh’s campaign featured professionally made videos shared on social media. Fine Gael’s return to Sipo shows the party spent more than €18,000 on videos for her campaign.
Elsewhere, Frances Fitzgerald’s successful campaign spent €1,376 on coffee mornings and Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly paid almost €1,500 on stickers that allowed him to recycle old election posters.
There was €13,000 spent on “social media consultancy” for Dublin election hopeful Mark Durcan’s unsuccessful campaign and €29.20 spent on make-up for the candidate.
Fianna Fáil spent €794,768 on its campaign where it won just two seats – Billy Kelleher in Ireland South and Barry Andrews in Dublin.
In Ireland North-West, €195,324 was paid for Brendan Smith’s campaign and €106,649 on Anne Rabbitte’s bid for both candidates’ failed campaigns.
Fine Gael spent just over €1m for an election in which it took five seats
Training
Four of the party’s candidates – Mr Smith, Ms Rabbitte, Malcolm Byrne and Barry Andrews – received “media training” for €1,107 each.
Sinn Féin spent €308,667 and returned just one MEP, Matt Carthy. After his election to the Dáil this year he has
been replaced in Europe by former Sligo councillor Chris MacManus.
There was €89,163 in expenses reported for the unsuccessful campaign by Ireland South candidate Liadh Ní Riada.
The Green Party paid out €154,832 and got two candidates elected – Ciarán Cuffe in Dublin and Grace O’Sullivan in Ireland South.
There was €1,000 spent with Dublin Bus for a “campaign tour” for Mr Cuffe and his campaign paid €100 for electric scooter hire.
Labour spent €275,334 but none of its three candidates were elected.
Independents 4 Change spent €76,782, and both Clare Daly and Mick Wallace won seats in Dublin and Ireland South respectively. Ms Daly spent €21,212 with outdoor advertising company Exterion Media.
Non-party candidates spent €251,408.
Ireland North-West Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan had election expenses of €37,004 and had the full sum reimbursed.
Controversial Independent and former presidential election candidate and Dragon’s Den star Peter Casey had €50,301 in expenses and was entitled to a reimbursement of €38,092, the maximum available.
Candidates were entitled to reimbursement if they were elected or won more than a quarter of the quota at any stage of the counting of votes.