Minister O'Brien announces new spending limits and reimbursement amount for Dáil Elections

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, announced today (21 October 2024) that he has made an order increasing the spending limits and the reimbursement amount that will apply to candidates standing at future Dáil elections.
The Electoral Act 1997 (Variation of Monetary Amounts) Order 2024 increases the spending limits and the reimbursement amount applicable to Dáil elections having regard to changes in the Consumer Price Index since the figures were last revised in early 2007. Since the last revision, there has been an aggregate change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 29.1%.
The application of this change in the CPI raises the reimbursement amount to €11,200 and the spending limits to €38,900 in a 3-seat constituency, €48,600 in a 4-seat constituency and €58,350 in a 5-seat constituency. Arrangements are now being made to publish the Electoral Act 1997 (Variation of Monetary Amounts) Order 2024 and to make it available on www.irishstatutebook.ie.
Under the Electoral Act 1997, provision is made for the reimbursement of election expenses incurred at a Dáil election subject to certain criteria being met. A candidate who is successfully elected may be reimbursed his or her actual expenses incurred, now up to a maximum of €11,200. Similarly, an unsuccessful candidate whose votes exceed one quarter of the quota in his or her constituency may be reimbursed his or her actual expenses incurred, also up to a maximum of €11,200.
Election spending incurred by a candidate at a Dáil election must be below the specified limit for the constituency concerned and a statement of election expenses must be reported to the Standards in Public Office Commission within 56 days of polling day. The spending limits at a Dáil election apply to all expenses incurred and payments made in providing property, goods or services which are used for electoral purposes during the period commencing on the date of the issue of the writ and ending on polling day, both dates inclusive.
Under the Act, expenses incurred by a candidate at any time before the date of the issue of the writ at a Dáil election must also be accounted for in the election expenses statement if the expenses relate to property, goods or services for use at the election during the election spending period.
In arriving at his decision, Minister O’Brien underscored that:
“It has been more than seventeen years since the spending limits and the reimbursement amount at Dáil elections were last revised. The data shows that inflation has increased significantly over that period.
“The cost of typical goods and services that make up an election campaign are included in the preparation of the Consumer Price Index, items such as stationery, printing, transport, postage etc. The ability to conduct an election campaign is an important part of the democratic process, and, in light of inflationary pressures, there is strong a case for the spending limits to reflect the current costs associated with campaigning.”