Pearse Doherty must explain how Sinn Féin’s General Election campaign is being funded – Burke

Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has today called for Sinn Féin treasurer, Pearse Doherty, to immediately set out how the Sinn Féin General Election campaign is being funded.

Media reports today and in recent days published an extensive report on the financing of the political parties and the major discrepancies with Sinn Féin’s 2024 local election returns which states they spent only €7,500 on running 335 candidates for the June elections.

“They need to explain a report in today’s Irish Independent which outlines how after filing their 2024 local election returns, Dublin City Council refused to accept their initial filings.

“It is simply unbelievable to say only €7,500 was spent on 335 candidates covering posters, digital advertising, party launches, posters and everything that comes with running a campaign,” Minister Burke said.

“This follows on from more than a decade of inaccurate returns for every national election held in this country. What more will be uncover about Sinn Féin’s finances,” he added.

“Another recent report highlights that the party stated they had €400,000 less in cash reserves than in their unspent funds at the end of 2023.  Anyone who understands basic accounting knows that cash reserves must be at least equal to their unspent State funding.

“Another recent report highlights that at the end of 2023, Sinn Féin had cash reserves of €4.48M. However, their accounts and their returns to SIPO state that they had €4.88M of unspent State funding.

“State funding is money that political parties receive for day-to-day expenses every quarter but are not allowed to use for electoral purposes.  Normally it would be expected that the party’s cash reserves should be at least equal to its unspent State funding that its accounts says that it has received.

“Sinn Féin need to clarify why they had €400,000 less in cash reserves than unspent state funds at the end of 2023, what funds they are using for the General Election, and put beyond doubt that they are not using State funds incorrectly,” Minister Burke said.