In accordance with standing procedure, the Department of the Taoiseach issues guidance to all Ministers and Government Departments in respect of the application of the principles of the various Court judgments relevant to the Government’s role in referendum campaigns (these are generally referred to as the ‘McKenna/McCrystal principles’). This guidance was issued by the Department of the Taoiseach in respect of the forthcoming referendums and was circulated within my Department. It is the responsibility of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, under Chapter 5, Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, to provide a general explanation of the subject matter of the proposals for the referendums and to promote public awareness and encourage voting at the referendums.
All Departments have an individual responsibility in relation to the management and accountability for grants in accordance with Circular 13/2014 Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds, issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The provisions of Circular 13/2014 apply to the movement of funds (Grants) from a Vote to an outside body, and to any/all onward movements of that funding.
Bodies receiving funding from the Department are also subject to the requirements of Circular 13/2014 which applies to all bodies, including agencies, companies, committees, advisory groups, charities, or individuals that receive grant funding, whether directly from the Votes of Government Departments/Offices or through an intermediary body or series of bodies. This Circular includes a statement of principles for grantees in respect of clarity, fairness, governance and value for money in their management of and accountability for public funds, and advises that grantees should ‘apply funding only for the business purposes for which they were provided’.
