The whips from the Government and the main opposition parties have agreed to examine aspects of the Electoral Act governing political spending. Following a meeting between the whips at Leinster House last night, a Government spokesman confirmed that they had decided to pursue the matter again next week. He said there would be no rowing back on the core principle of the Act relating to disclosure and limits on party spending.
Earlier yesterday the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan said there was disquiet among the main parties over "the workability" of the Act, which was introduced by the Rainbow administration.
Parties are required to make returns by the end of March on donations received but, according to Mr Brennan, the size of the Fianna Fail organisation, with over 2,000 cumainn, made the provision of this information extremely difficult.
Mr Brennan said no attempt would be made "in the absence of cross-party agreement" to change the measures.
Chief whips from all the parties have discussed the implications of the Act in relation to spending on campaigns and the collating of all donations from donors who make an aggregate contribution of over £4,000 to any party.
Under the Act, candidates in five-seat constituencies are entitled to spend £20,000; those in four-seaters are limited to £17,000 while those in three-seaters are entitled to spend no more than £14,000.
However, the Public Offices Commission has decided that spending by every TD applies from January 1st last to when the writ for the next election is moved. Mr Brennan said yesterday this was not practical since the next general election is not likely for a considerable time.
The chairman of the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, also criticised the requirement that a designated officer, usually the general secretary, must make returns by the end of March covering all aggregate donations of more than £4,000 from one person.