Former junior minister Ivor Callely has topped the list of political donations for 2005 having raised almost €70,000 for Fianna Fáil last year.
Mr Callely, who resigned on Budget Day last December, is listed as having received €69,600, in about 40 separate donations, mostly relating to a golf classic.
Former Minister for State at the Department of Transport Mr Ivor Callely after resigning from the post. Photo: David Sleator
The figure is almost half of the total amount of donations disclosed to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SPOC) for 2005 by politicians of all parties.
The list included donations for the golf classic from Leixlip estate agent and property developer Arthur French and developer Gerry Gannon.
TDs, senators and MEPs disclosed donations with a total value of €147,526 for 2005, according to the SPOC figures published this lunchtime.
Mr Callely left his job in the Department of Transport reluctantly on December 7th after the Taoiseach threatened to sack him.
Mr Ahern was forced into taking the action after it was disclosed that top building firm John Paul Construction had paid for the painting of Mr Callely's Clontarf home in the early 1990s when the same company was then refurbishing the Dublin office of the Eastern Health Board. Mr Callely was chairman of the board at the time. Mr Callely was not charged for the work on his home.
Today's list of donations released by the SPOC includes money, property, goods and services. Only donations valued at more than €634.87 must be disclosed to the commission.
A total of 233 donation statements were received in relation to 2005. Fianna Fáil members accounted for €136,962 of the total, Fine Gael members received €5,824, Labour members received €3,740, while those who are not members of a party received €1,000 in donations.
TDs accounted for €139,602, senators received donations valued at €7,924, and no donations were disclosed by MEPs.
The full list of donations is available on the Standards in Public Office Commission's website www.sipo.gov.ie
