Electoral Act, 1997

Limitation of election expenses at Dáil election.

32.—(1) (a) The aggregate of election expenses which may be incurred by or on behalf of a candidate in connection with his or her candidature at a Dáil election shall not exceed—

(i) in the case of a constituency returning three members, £14,000;

(ii) in the case of a constituency returning four members, £17,000; and

(iii) in the case of a constituency returning five members, £20,000.

(b) (i) Where a political party authenticates the candidature of a candidate at a Dáil election, the party may incur such proportion not exceeding fifty per cent, of the amount of the election expenses which that candidate is entitled to incur at that election under paragraph (a), as may be agreed in writing between the party and the candidate concerned.

(ii) The election expenses which a political party may incur under subparagraph (i) may relate to expenditure in the constituency concerned or otherwise, and the said election expenses shall be deemed for the purposes of paragraph (a) to be expenses incurred by that candidate.

(2) Subject to subsection (1)(b)(i), the aggregate of election expenses which may be incurred by the national agent of a political party on behalf of that party at a Dáil election shall be the sum of the amounts of election expenses agreed in writing pursuant to subsection (1)(b)(i) between the party and candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the party at the election.