€2.3m spent by presidential candidates

EGAR · 15-02-2012 12:15am #1

The candidates in October's presidential election spent a total of €2.3 million on their campaigns.

Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell was the biggest spending candidate
Play

Six One News: Presidential candidates spent €2.3m on campaigns

The seven candidates in last October's presidential election spent a total of €2.3 million on their campaigns.
Figures released by the Standards in Public Office Commission this evening show that the highest spender was Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell, who spent over €500,000.
In total, Mr Mitchell, who came fourth in the race to the Áras, spent €527,152 on his campaign. The bulk of that, over €400,000, was spent on posters, ads and other election material.
The Fine Gael MEP did not receive any donations and, as he did not reach the required number of votes, he did not get any expenses back from the state.
The next biggest spender was Independent Mary Davis, who spent €414,041. Some €93,000 of that was spent on the candidate's posters, which garnered some attention during the campaign.
Ms Davis received over €120,000 in donations from numerous individuals including businessmen Dermot Desmond and Denis O'Brien, each of whom gave her €2,500.
However, because she came last in the race and did not reach the threshold, the state did not reimburse Ms Davis any of her expenses.
The winner of the election, now President Michael D Higgins, was the third biggest spender at €359,935. More than half of that expenditure went on posters and ads.
President Higgins also spent €4,114 on clothing for television appearances.
Most of the donations totalling €121,421 that he received came from elected members of the Labour Party, which he represented.
Because he reached the required threshold, President Higgins received €200,000 back from the state.
Independent Senator David Norris was the next largest spender, although he came fifth in the election contest.
Mr Norris spent €331,974 on election expenses, a third of this going to pay campaign workers. He also received €17,929 in donations.
Because he did not reach the required threshold, Mr Norris received no reimbursement from the state.
The SIPO report states that €30,008 of Mr Norris' listed expenses are in dispute, although it does not say what these expenses are for.
SIPO also states that a number of the expenses listed were deemed by it to not be election expenses in the context of the legislation.
However, SIPO says that because Mr Norris is not receiving any reimbursement from the state, because he did not receive the threshold, it is not pursuing the matter further with him.
The runner up in the contest, Independent Sean Gallagher, was the fifth largest spender. He spent €323,318 in total.
Mr Gallagher made a point during the campaign of not using election posters; however his filings show that he did spend over €200,000 on publicity and other election material.
He received donations of €28,759, including €2,500 from Independent Senator Fergal Quinn.
Mr Gallagher did reach the required threshold for reimbursement and so received €200,000 from the state.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness spent the second lowest amount, although he finished third in the election contest. His expenses totalled €302,563.
Almost €3,000 of the €27,000 he spent on transport and travel was paid to Morgan Fuels, the company that owned by businessman Hugh Morgan.
Mr Morgan claimed during the campaign that he gave Sean Gallagher a cheque for a Fianna Fáil fundraiser in 2008, a claim which Mr Gallagher denied, but which had a pivotal effect on his campaign.
Tonight a Sinn Féin spokeswoman said Mr McGuinness' bus driver had a Morgan Fuels card, which she said were very common.
Martin McGuinness received €4,348 in donations, and was reimbursed €200,000 from the state after reaching the threshold.
The lowest spender was Dana Rosemary Scallon, who spent €59,591.
She received donations of €12,017 but did not receive any reimbursement from the state.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0214/president.html

Dr. Manhattan · 15-02-2012 12:17am

Are you not making any comment on it OP? It's not much of a discussion unless you take a position or ask some question/s.

squod · 15-02-2012 12:17am

Ms Davis received over €120,000 in donations from numerous individuals including businessmen Dermot Desmond and Denis O'Brien, each of whom gave her €2,500.
However, because she came last in the race and did not reach the threshold, the state did not reimburse Ms Davis any of her expenses.

Good.

DrumSteve · 15-02-2012 12:18am

Thats interesting that mitchell spent so much but got no where really.

EGAR · 15-02-2012 12:21am

Dr. Manhattan wrote: »

Are you not making any comment on it OP? It's not much of a discussion unless you take a position or ask some question/s.

No.

starbelgrade · 15-02-2012 12:22am

So Martin McGuinness gave three grand to Hugh Morgan to get the dirt on the brown envelopes Sean Gallagher collected for Fianna Fail.. information which effectively ended his Presidential campaign?

The best spent three grand of the entire campaign so.

cosanostra · 15-02-2012 12:31am

The people running this country spent over 500k on a three legged donkey and over 9k on cable ties

AnamGlas · 15-02-2012 12:32am

With 400k being spent on Mitchell's posters, you'd think they'd spot the obvious mistake of having a horse's head on the poster instead of Gay's.

amacachi · 15-02-2012 12:33am

Were there any irregularities other than Norris'?

oppenheimer1 · 15-02-2012 1:05am

squod wrote: »

Good.

Why? She was a pretty harmless candidate. She did not deserve the vitriol directed at her from the media (looking in particular at Shane Ross)

Logical Fallacy · 15-02-2012 1:09am

amacachi wrote: »

Were there any irregularities other than Norris'?

Bit harsh to call homosexuality an "irregularity".

Namlub · 15-02-2012 1:13am

The next biggest spender was Independent Mary Davis, who spent €414,041. Some €93,000 of that was spent on the candidate's posters

I wonder why...

cosanostra · 15-02-2012 1:27am

Spend per vote received - MDH 22c, SG 24c, MMcG 43c, Dana €1.16, Norris €3.03, Gay €4.65, Davis €8.51

squod · 15-02-2012 1:38am

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Why? She was a pretty harmless candidate. She did not deserve the vitriol directed at her from the media (looking in particular at Shane Ross)

Mostly because it's not 2006 anymore. She took a chance, fair enough. Realistically she was a no-hoper from the outset. Should the citizen get to stump up for her gamble? Hell no. Shoulda known better.