FIANNA FÁIL TDs, Senators and MEPs disclosed donations of over €500,000 during 2007, more than the combined total of all other political parties.
The annual donations report for last year of the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) shows that donations with a total value of €855,995 were disclosed by members of the Oireachtas, MEPs and former members.
This is an almost seven-fold increase on 2006, when elected national politicians disclosed a total of €131,923.67. The increase last year is explained by the fact that it was an election year.
Fianna Fáil members disclosed donations of €517,871. Members of Fine Gael disclosed a total of €130,791.92, while the Labour Party disclosed €54,810; the Greens disclosed €24,942 and Sinn Féin disclosed €17,650.
However, TDs and Senators are obliged to declare only donations valued at €635 and over. Therefore, the donations actually declared amounts to only a fraction of the actual funds raised by candidates last year as they prepared for the general election. It is generally agreed that the vast majority of donations received by individuals and by parties falls below the threshold above which declaration is mandatory.
In a statement, the commission also notes that 80 TDs, almost half the total in the Dáil, furnished "nil" donation statements for 2007. In addition, 40 of the 60 Senators, 12 of the 15 MEPs and 47 former members also returned "nil" statements.
The person declaring the highest donations in 2007 was the newly-elected Wicklow TD, Joe Behan with €37,600. His total was comprised of 22 donations ranging from €1,000 to €2,500, including one from property developers Treasury Holdings and from waste company Greenstar.
Many of the others who declared high donations were elected to the Dáil or the Seanad for the first time last year. The next highest after Mr Behan are: Carlow-Kilkenny TD and junior minister for trade John McGuinness (FF), €37,600; independent senator on the NUI panel Ronán Mullen, €32,030; the new Dublin North deputy Darragh O'Brien (FF), €28,266; the new Wexford TD Seán Connick (FF), €25,500; independent Kerry South TD Jackie Healy-Rae, €24,900; the new Cork South West TD Christy O'Sullivan (FF), €22,900; Minister for Enterprise Mícheál Martin (FF), €22,135; the new TD for Kildare North Áine Brady (FF), €22,000 and the new TD for Tipperary South Mattie McGrath (FF), €20,500.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern declared only one donation, €19,000 for the use of St Luke's in Drumcondra. The donor is named as Fianna Fáil with an address of Fianna Fáil Dublin Central, St Luke's, Drumcondra. The amount is the same as that declared by the Taoiseach in 2006.
The other Fianna Fáil TD in Dublin Central, Cyprian Brady, makes a similar disclosure of €19,000 for the use of St Luke's.
Tánaiste and Taoiseach-designate Brian Cowen discloses total donations of €2,458, which is on the lower side of the scale. Three individuals made those donations, one of whom, Feargal O'Rourke of Sandycove in Dublin also made donations to Mr Martin and to junior minister Conor Lenihan.
In addition to donating to Mr Behan, Treasury Holdings also made a donation of €2,500 to Fine Gael TD Jim O'Keeffe, as did Spencer Dock Development Company.
Johnny Ronan also donated €1,000 to Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South East Chris Andrews.
The other organisations who made donations to multiple candidates were the INTO, which gave €2,500 to primary teachers and former primary teachers, and Siptu, which contributed €2,500 each to nine Labour Party TDs.
Among the prominent individuals and companies included in the list of donors are the financier Dermot Desmond of IIU Limited in the IFSC who donated €2,500 to the former Fianna Fáil senator Don Lydon; the New York-based publisher Niall O'Dowd, who contributed €1,520 to his brother, the Louth Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd and the accountancy firm Peelo and Partners which donated €1,000 to Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter - accountant Des Peelo is Taoiseach's financial adviser in his dealings with the Mahon tribunal.
The prominent barrister Garret Cooney, a brother of former Fine Gael TD Patrick Cooney, donated €2,500 to the campaign of independent university Senator Ronan Mullen.
Mayo TD Beverly Flynn received €2,500 from her partner's construction firm, TJ Gaughan Construction, while Independent TD Jackie Healy Rae received a donation of €1,000 from Brian McCarthy, the founder of Killorglin-based Fexco.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey received donations from bookmarkers Ladbroke and the soap and cosmetic company Dove, while his ministerial colleague Mary Hanafin received €2,500 from Glencullen, the motor distribution company founded by Bill Cullen.
On average, Fianna Fáil's TDs received more than candidates of other parties. Property developers, auctioneers and the hospitality industry featured heavily in the list of donations disclosed.
