Campaign spending: Ireland's five main political parties will spend more than €5 million on their campaigns, while candidates are expected to spend a further €5 million at least on their local campaigns, according to figures provided by party officials.
Fianna Fáil is expected to spend the most of any party on its election campaign, with €1.97 million being allocated to the national campaign. A further €1.97 million will be spent by candidates on their own campaigns.
Fine Gael says it expects to spend €1.7 million on its campaign, with a further €1.7 million spent by candidates themselves.
Labour will spend €800,000 on its national campaign, and its candidates a further €1 million.
The Progressive Democrats will spend €400,000 nationally while its candidates will spend up to €700,000 locally.
The Green party has allotted just €200,000 for its national campaign.
Its 44 candidates are legally allowed to spend up to a further €1.3 million on their local campaigns, although the party claims only a fraction of this will be used.
It has also emerged that parties and candidates are feeling pressure in relation to the limits because of the duration of the campaign.
Many candidates had expected a 21-day campaign as opposed to 26.
Sinn Féin did not give an estimate of its national spend, although under the current limits the party will be able to spend up to €1.5 million on its local and national campaign.
Legislation limits what each candidate can spend on their campaign.
These limits are €30,150 for a three-seat constituency, €37,650 for a four-seat constituency, and €45,200 for a five-seater.
Political parties themselves are not limited, but must be allotted a proportion of their candidates' spending if they are to spend any money on the campaign.
In the case of Fianna Fáil, each candidate must allot half of their spending limit to the party. Fine Gael candidates allot 30-60 per cent.
Fianna Fáil general secretary Seán Dorgan said the spending limits mean that every aspect of spending has to be "monitored very tightly" to ensure that candidates and party headquarters remain within their allocations. "It means you have to make sure that every cent you spend has some return. "It's difficult, but the election spend is only a small part of the campaign. The most important element is party activity locally in constituencies."
Advertising and posters pose the single biggest element of the all of the parties' national spending, party officials said.
In 2002 more than half of Fianna Fáil's national spend was on advertising, publicity and posters.
This year it is expected to spend €200,000 alone on its nationwide poster campaign.
Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will also spend considerable amounts, up to €200,000 between them, on polling and market research.
Each party will be expected to take at least two private polls during the campaign.
The Green Party said it was spending €50,000 on printing and putting up more than 5,000 posters nationwide, and this formed the single biggest element of its campaign spend. The next large element is €15,000 on its party election broadcast.
Mike Allen, general secretary of Labour, said the longer campaign was "definitely putting pressure on" in relation to spending. "The money and the limits have to be allocated over more days, which is difficult."