Minister for Housing and Local Government James Browne has signed an order raising the maximum reimbursement amount for presidential election candidates from €200,000 to €250,000, reports Breaking News.
Candidates in a presidential election are eligible for expense reimbursement if they are elected, or if their vote total reaches more than one-quarter of the quota.
According to Section 21A of the Electoral Act 1997, the limit for reimbursable election expenses at a presidential election was set at €200,000, reports Breaking News.
However, the Act allows the minister to adjust this amount in line with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Reviews of this amount are generally carried out before each election takes place, reports Breaking News.
The adjustment, based on the rise in CPI since the last revision, indicated a possible increase to €252,700, which has now been rounded down to €250,000.
Under Section 53 (as amended) of the Electoral Act 1997, presidential candidates may spend up to €750,000 on their campaigns.
There are no plans to increase this spending cap, so it will remain fixed at €750,000, reports Breaking News.
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