FF's £230,000 in large gifts easily sees off the opposition

Fianna Fail received more than £230,000 in large-scale donations between May 15th and December 31st last year, according to figures…

Fianna Fail received more than £230,000 in large-scale donations between May 15th and December 31st last year, according to figures issued by the Public Offices Commission.

The total comprised 16 donations of more than £4,000, the minimum amount that must be declared to the commission, and the gifts ranged from £5,000 up to £80,250.

The party is easily the biggest beneficiary on the list, which has been published as a result of the Electoral Act 1997.

The next most successful fundraiser was Sinn Fein, which raised £94,000 from supporters in the US.

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Fine Gael received two donations totalling £27,500, while Labour also received two for a total of £17,500.

Only donations made after May 15th last year had to be included, however, although much of the parties' fund-raising for the June 6th general election had been done by then. Donations of £4,000 or less did not have to be declared.

Fianna Fail's major donors included Waterford Crystal Ltd, which gave £30,000, and the mining company Arcon International Resources PLC, which donated £15,000.

The single biggest donation, two cheques totalling £80,250, is credited to DCD Builders, a company owned by the successful developer, Mr Sean Dunne.

However, a spokesman for Mr Dunne, who is behind one of the bids for the National Conference Centre, said last night that only £6,250 of the total had come from Mr Dunne's own company.

The £80,250 total, which is described in the declaration as "payment of election expenses", is broken down on the declaration into 11 smaller payments from individual donors, including the £6,250 from DCD and £10,000 from the late estate agent, Mr Fintan Gunne.

Another donation of £30,250 is credited to Stephen Finn Contractors, Limerick, and is also listed as payment of election expenses.

This is also broken down into smaller contributions from named individuals and companies.

All Sinn Fein's donations, totalling more than £90,000, are credited to "Friends of Sinn Fein America". The Public Offices Commission sought and received written confirmation from the party that there were no individual donations of more than £4,000.

Democratic Left's sole declared benefactor is the party leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, who gave the party £5,000.

Irish Distillers Group PLC donated money to all the main parties, except Democratic Left: £25,000 to Fianna Fail; £22,500 to Fine Gael; £12,500 to Labour; and £10,000 to the Progressive Democrats. The distillers' money was the only donation recorded by the PDs.

All 16 parties registered to contest the 1997 election were required to make declarations, although only the largest five parties and Sinn Fein had amounts to declare.

Parties were also asked to declare anonymous donations of £100 or more, but none notified receipt of such a donation.

Frank McNally

Frank McNally

Frank McNally is an Irish Times journalist and chief writer of An Irish Diary