There won't be a deluge, but there will certainly be considerable interest later this month when the Public Offices Commission publishes, for the first time ever, the 240 or so declarations of donations received by Dail deputies, senators and MEPs. Under the 1997 Electoral Act, all candidates are required to declare any donation encompassing money, property, goods, services or below cost items worth more than £500, which they received, either directly or through an intermediary, between May 15th, when the Act came into force, and December 31st, 1997. The returns from the unsuccessful election candidates are already out and now it's the turn of the winners as well as the five presidential contenders.
A spokesman for the commission says the statements are being processed and clarification is being sought on some. While a number of unsuccessful candidates had to be pursued by the Garda to make returns, all elected deputies and senators complied with the Act - which is not surprising considering failure to make a return can lead to a £1,000 fine plus £100 a day thereafter. A false return can result in a £20,000 fine or up to three years in jail. There is nothing wrong with receiving donations in excess of £500, it just has to be declared - which, of course, may deter certain benefactors. The deadline for returns from the political parties, where the threshold for declaration is £4,000, is the end of this month.
From now on, financial declarations must be made annually by all serving politicians, apart from the President. As 1997 was a general election year, donations are likely to have been more generous than normal. Quidnunc understands, however, that there is little to cause alarm in any of the declarations, however interesting they might be. So far, there is no sign of any suspicious links between politicians and big business.