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SIPO regulations on referendums

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  • 28-06-2008 4:47pm
    #1
    PHB
    Registered Users Posts: 20,617 ✭✭✭✭


    I was wondering what the story was the funding issues in the referendum campaign.

    I know there were lots of questions raised about LIbertas funding and I was wondering

    Are libertas legally obliged to post their account to the SIPO?

    If so, are SIPO legally obliged to post them to the public?

    If not, is it cause they are different to political parties, or is it cause nobody has to if they don't want to.


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    #2
    Canada J Soup
    Registered Users Posts: 59 ✭✭Canada J Soup


    My understanding is that although Libertas was/is a limited liability company rather than a political party or civil society group, its registration with SIPO as a 3rd party involved in the campaign means they're subject to the same regulations. There are plenty of ways that sources of funds could be obscured however, so it's unlikly that any non-compliance with the regs would be easily identified.

    Op-ed piece from the Post here gives some add'l info towards the end (not one for the Ganley fans, btw): http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2008/06/15/story33683.asp


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    #3
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    By March 31 next year, the organisation must give the SIPO a bank statement specifying the transactions in its registered referendum account the previous year. However, there is no obligation to disclose the source of the lodgments made or exactly how they were spent. The organisation is also free to use any funding it may have already had in its coffers, but does not have to declare that it did so or where it came from.

    I think this is probably the essential point. SIPO disclosure rules for third parties only cover donations during the campaign. At its tightest interpretation, that literally means donations received after the referendum date was set - whereas Libertas had been an existing organisation for over a year, and had been actively campaigning since the New Year.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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