The winner of the presidential election will be entitled to reimbursement of election expenses by the State of an increased sum of up to €250,000 after this year’s campaign.
Unsuccessful candidates whose vote reaches a quarter of the quota are also in line for the same maximum level of refund.
The sum is €50,000 more than the maximum reimbursement of €200,000 that was on offer after the 2018 election.
The increase was approved by Minister for Local Government James Browne to reflect the increase in the consumer price index (CPI) – a measures of inflation – that has occurred since 2018.
RM Block
On that occasion just two candidates qualified for reimbursement, President Michael D Higgins and Independent candidate Peter Casey.
Mr Higgins’s re-election campaign in 2018 had expenses of some €367,338, with €200,000 of this reimbursed.
Mr Casey was repaid the full amount of his expenses, which amounted to €119,911.
Others whose share of the vote did not meet the threshold for refunds were Independents Joan Freeman, whose campaign spent €253,194; Seán Gallagher, whose campaign had spending of €246,820; and Gavin Duffy, whose campaign cost €163,438.
Sinn Féin spent €209,716 on the campaign for its 2018 candidate, Liadh Ní Riada, but also lost out on any reimbursement.
The Department of Local Government on Friday said Mr Browne had signed an order increasing the maximum reimbursement amount from €200,000 to €250,000.
“Applying the CPI increase since the amount was last revised resulted in a potential increase to €252,700 which has been rounded down to €250,000.”
The overall spending limit for individual presidential campaigns will remain at €750,000 for the forthcoming election, expected to take place in October or November.
This €750,000 spending limit is still well above even the most expensive election campaign of recent times. That was Fine Gael’s unsuccessful bid to get former MEP Gay Mitchell elected in 2011, which ran up election expenses of €527,152. Mr Mitchell’s campaign did not qualify for any reimbursement.
There are just two confirmed candidates in this year’s presidential race so far: Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness – a former European Commissioner and MEP – and left-wing Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly.
Ms McGuinness has the backing of a large party and its financial resources.
Ms Connolly is seeking donations from supporters and is likely to get funding from the smaller parties that back her including Labour and the Social Democrats.
The sums raised for Ms Connolly’s campaign through online fundraising as of Thursday evening stood at some €28,500.
