Gay Mitchell
Question:79 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment if he will consider increased restrictions on the amount of money which parties or candidates can spend during an election period.
Written Answers. - Candidates' Election Expenses.
Brendan Howlin
Question:174 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment if, in the light of revelations of sums of private financial donations being given to political parties and individual candidates, he now intends to propose the restoration of the repealed legislation to restrict the amount of money that candidates for election to Dáil Eireann can spend on their election campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 174 together.
There are no proposals for the reintroduction of a statutory limitation on the election expenses of candidates at elections. The former limitation was repealed in 1963 on the recommendation of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Electoral Law.