Almost half of the money raised in donations by Irish politicians last year was donated to the former junior minister, Ivor Callely, who resigned on Budget Day, according to figures released yesterday by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
The total disclosed by all politicians came to €147,526, with Mr Callely receiving €69,600. Fianna Fáil politicians accounted for €136,962 of the total, with Fine Gael declaring €5,824, Labour €3,740 and one Independent TD getting €1,000.
The amount raised by Mr Callely in a non-election year is more than four times the amount he will be able to spend in the next general election. The spending limit for candidates in his three-seat constituency of Dublin North Central is €25,394.
Almost half of that allocation will be taken up by the Fianna Fáil national campaign, so Mr Callely will be allowed to spend only in the region of €15,000.
The former junior minister disclosed more than 40 donations in 2005 worth between €750 and €2,500, the bulk of them being individual donations made at a golf classic.
By law, individual donations valued at more than €634.87 in terms of money, property, goods or services have to be disclosed to the commission.
The Taoiseach declared a donation of €18,000, arising from his use of a property in Drumcondra as a constituency office. Two Cabinet Ministers and three junior Ministers also declared donations.
The Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, declared €7,750. This came in the form of five cheques donated by business people and one cheque of €1,500 donated by a housewife from Co Clare, Maxine Murphy.
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, raised €3,750 from a golf classic, with €2,500 coming from Ladbrokes in Naas and €1,250 from Midland Contractors in Kells.
Three junior Ministers, Batt O'Keeffe, Seán Power and Brendan Smith, also declared donations. Mr Power received €2,080, Mr O'Keeffe got €2,000 and Mr Smith €1,500.
A total of 11 Fianna Fáil TDs and two Senators received donations, according to the information supplied to the commission.
Only one Fine Gael TD, Shane McEntee, who fought a byelection last year, figured on the list with a donation of €1,000, while his Seanad colleague John Paul Phelan declared €4,824 for the use of an office.
Labour TD Séamus Pattison declared €3,080 while party colleague Brian O'Shea declared €660. Both disclosures were for the use of an office.
The only Independent TD to declare a donation was Catherine Murphy of Kildare North, who disclosed a cheque for €1,000. She was elected in a by-election last year. Fianna Fáil Senator John Hanafin also disclosed a donation of €1,600 for each of the years 2003 and 2004.
No donations valued in excess of €634.87 were disclosed by members of the Progressive Democrats, the Green Party, Sinn Féin or the Socialist Party.
TDs, Senators and MEPs are prohibited from accepting foreign donations or from accepting anonymous donations exceeding a value of €126.97. They are also prohibited from accepting donations with a total value exceeding €2,539.48 from the same person in the same year. No foreign, anonymous or excess donations were disclosed in respect of 2005.
