The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) has called for "increased transparency" in political party spending as figures to be published today show Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the PDs reported no disclosable political donations last year.
The secretary of SIPO, David Waddell, says current legislation means the public will not know how political parties financed their recent general election campaigns.
In an article in Public Affairs Irelandmagazine, Mr Waddell, says it is clear that parties are "soliciting donations below the disclosure thresholds", which means that donors do not have to be identified.
He said it was "surprising for the year preceding a long-awaited general election neither Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael nor the Progressive Democrats reported any disclosable donations." Under the Electoral Act 1997, political parties must give details of any donation which exceeds €5,078.95. The maximum permitted donation is €6,348.69.
Mr Waddell said there is now a strong case to be made for a new approach to the general funding of political parties and "sound arguments to be made for increased transparency in such funding and for greater scrutiny of political party expenditure".
He referred to a Council of Europe recommendation in 2003 that all donations received by political parties be specified.
He said in the calendar year prior to the 2002 general election donations disclosed by the parties amounted to almost seven times the 2006 figures, which will total €146,503.
While it is the case that exchequer funding of political parties has increased hugely since 2001, with over €13.5 million spent last year, this funding cannot be used for election purposes.
"We do not know, therefore, how the parties financed their election campaigns in 2007, nor are the parties obliged to disclose the source of this funding." he said in his article in Public Affairs Ireland to be published this week.
Mr Waddell also criticised the fact that monitoring of spending on elections is limited.
Under current legislation, election spending limits do not kick in until the day the election is called. But the spend in the run- up to the calling of an election is not subject to regulation under the electoral legislation if the promotional material concerned is not used during the election period.
"It seems that many parties "front-loaded" their campaign expenditure on electioneering well in advance of the dissolution of the Dáil on April 29th, 2007." He added: "It is now clear that the public perception of the legislation is that it is far from effective in its stated aim of regulating expenditure at elections by political parties and candidates."
The commissions functions in relation to the limitation disclosure and reimbursement of election expenses are set out in the Electoral Act 1997.
In a review of the Electoral Acts published in 2003, the commission called for a change in the "legally defined election period" to take into account spending limits.
"This view has been reinforced by the experience of the 2007 election campaign. It is now clear that the public perception of the legislation is that it is far from effective in its stated aim of regulating expenditure at elections by political parties and candidates." Mr Waddell said in 2003 the Committee of Ministers of the Council for Europe adopted a recommendation on rules against corruption in the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns.
As part of this, the council approved a set of common rules which members states should adopt in their national legal systems.