LAST UPDATE | 15 Jan 2023

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MINISTER Paschal Donohoe has apologised for failing to declare a donation of services during the 2016 General Election.

Yesterday, it emerged that a complaint has been made about his election finance declarations to Sipo (the Standards in Public Office commission) from that time. 

The complaint, which was detailed in the Sunday Independent, concerns allegations that Donohoe failed to properly declare a donation from an engineering firm, Designer Group, during the 2016 general election campaign.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Donohoe said that he had undertaken a “full review” of his election expenses following the complaint being made to Sipo on Friday.

He said that he was aware of six people who worked to put up and take down posters in the days prior and following polling day in 2016, but that he was unaware at the time that any of the people had been paid for their work.

“Neither myself nor the campaign team paid the people involved, nor was I at that time aware they had been paid. For that reason, no cost was attributed to this support on the election expense submitted to Sipo following that election,” Donohoe said.

Due to the complaint, Donohoe said that he had undertaken a review and had since discovered that the individuals had been paid for their work and that a company van was also used.

In total, Donohoe says that €1,057 was left unaccounted for in his declaration to Sipo.

However, he added that he became aware of an allegation in 2017 that a company van had been used but that he had not updated his declarations.

“This was a clear oversight on my part, which I acknowledge and apologise for,” Donohoe said, adding that he had since amended his election statement to account for the payment of the six individuals alongside the use of the company van.

However, he said that the donations made to Fine Gael Dublin Central were within the legal limits imposed by Sipo.

Alongside the updated declarations, Donohoe announced that he would be recusing himself from making any decisions surrounding ethics legislation or the operation of Sipo.

Sipo itself is associated with the Department of Public Expenditure, with Donohoe saying he will remain recused until the complaint has been resolved.

Donohoe added that he has since apologised to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

Earlier today, Róisín Shortall, co-leader of the Social Democrats, called for Donohoe to make a statement on the matter.

“Sometimes people think that you only have to declare monetary donations but of course we are required to declare goods and services as well. And that’s what seems to be at stake here.”

She said it would it would be “helpful” for Donohoe to clarify the value of work done, and that there is an onus on politicians to be “absolutely open and transparent in relation to donations of whatever kinds that we receive”.

“I would be concerned if Paschal Donohoe didn’t respect that requirement,” she said.

A spokesperson for Donohoe told the Sunday Independent that the work was carried out for free, but it was not declared to Sipo because it was worth less than relevant donation limits.

The complaint alleges that the value of the work was over the limit.

Under SIPO’s rules, candidates may accept a maximum total of €1,000 from one source over a calendar year. Corporate donations of over €200, as well as services worth more than that amount, must be declared to SIPO.

 - Additional reporting by Eoghan Dalton