Local Elections Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2013

Thursday, 5 December 2013

Questions (156, 157)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

156. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the spending limits in place for candidates in the 2009 local elections; the rebate paid to candidates and the conditions that applied to these rebates; the period before the election to which these spending limits applied; the spending limits, rebates, conditions and period that will apply for the 2014 local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52314/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

157. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will announce the spending limits, details of candidates' rebates, the period to which the expenditure will apply for the 2014 local elections; the reason for the delay in announcing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52315/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together.

Provision is made in Part 2 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Bill 2013 for amendments to the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999, ‘the 1999 Act’, to change the spending limit provisions at local elections. This Bill is currently before the Oireachtas.

Spending limits were first introduced for the 2009 local elections and were based on a sliding scale. The relevant provisions are contained in section 12A of the 1999 Act. Depending on the population of the local electoral area in a county or city council the limit is either: €15,000, €13,000, €11,500 or €9,750. All town and borough council electoral areas have the same spending limit of €7,500.

The Local Government Bill 2013 provides for the revision and replacement of the current arrangements, by amending section 12A of the 1999 Act and setting three new population bands with spending limits of €13,000, €11,500 and €9,750, respectively. It is intended that these limits would apply at the 2014 local elections. A summary of the current population bands and spending limits, and the proposed revisions, is set out in the following table.

Population bands and spending limits at the 2009 local elections

Proposed revisions for the 2014 local elections

Local electoral area	Candidate spending limit	Local electoral area	Candidate spending limit
Population in excess of 32,500	€15,000	Population in excess of 35,000	€13,000
Population between 22,501 and 32,500	€13,000	Population between 18,001 and 35,000	€11,500
Population between 12,001 and 22,500	€11,500	Population of 18,000 or less	€9,750
Population of 12,000 or less	€9,750
Borough or town council	€7,500

Section 12B of the 1999 Act provides that the period for the reckoning of election expenses, during which the spending limits apply, is tocommence between 50and 60 days prior topolling day. The date of commencement of the spending period is set out in an order made me, as Minister, before the election. Election spending incurred during this period must be reported to the local authority concerned within 90 days of polling day and must be below the specified limit.

The election spending period for the2009 local elections was specifiedin the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 (Period for the Reckoning of Election Expenses) Order 2009. The period commenced on 7 April 2009, and concluded on polling day, which was 5 June 2009.There is no provision in electoral law for the reimbursement of the election expenses of a candidate at a local election.