Referendum Expenditure

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Questions (89)

Alan Farrell

Question:

89. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide approximate costings for all referenda, held by the State, since 2001, in tabular form; if he will provide estimated costings for the upcoming referenda in May 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6439/15]

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Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

The approximate costings for all referenda since 2001 are set out in the following table with the exception of the referenda held in 2004 and 2011*. The referenda in those years were not taken on their own but were combined and accounted for with European and Local Elections in 2004 and with a Presidential and bye-election in 2011. It is not, therefore, possible to give an accurate cost of the referenda as there would have been an extensive sharing of staff and facilities for the different polls taken.

Month/ Year	Referendum	Approximate Cost
June 2001	Prohibition of Death Penalty International Criminal Court Treaty of Nice	€11.1m
March 2002	Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy	€10.8m
October 2002	Treaty of Nice	€15.0m
June 2004	Citizenship	*
June 2008	Treaty of Lisbon	€22.2m
October 2009	Treaty of Lisbon	€17.5m
October 2011	Houses of Oireachtas Enquiries Judges' Remuneration	*
May 2012	Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union	€14.8m
November 2012	Children	€12.8m
October 2013	Abolition of Seanad Court of Appeal	€14.4m

The costs of holding referenda, while significant, have been reduced since 2008. The estimated cost of the referenda (Marriage Equality & Qualifying Age for the Presidency) in May 2015 is c.€15 million. However if these referenda are held in conjunction with the forthcoming bye-election it will be more difficult to isolate the actual cost of the referenda as staff and facilities are shared in the taking of polls and in the counting of votes.