Breakdown of Cork election spending shows Taoiseach to have been among the most frugal of candidates
CorkmanHow much does it cost to run a successful general election campaign? If you’re in Cork, the answer seems to be around €17,000. That’s according to candidate expense statements for last year’s Dáil election.
However, as some demonstrated, it can even be managed on a little over five grand.
Election candidates are required to file expense statements with the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO). The statements for County Cork’s 20 TDs show that the bulk of their spending in November 2024’s general election was on election posters, other election material and advertising.
The average total spend by the successful candidates was €16,746. On average they spent €6,093 on posters, which covered costs incurred in printing them, putting them up and removing them.
The category of other election material includes canvass cards, election leaflets, election manifestos, newsletters, websites, social media and any other promotional material. For that, the average spend was €6,674. Advertising such as ads in local newspapers cost the winning candidates an average of €2,233.
The biggest spender among the 20 TDs elected in Cork’s five constituencies in 2024 was Fianna Fáil’s James O'Connor. Representing Cork-East, he was first elected to the Dáil in 2020. In last year’s election O'Connor spent €28,323. Of that total, €11,436 went on posters, €14,260 on other election material and €2,207 on advertising.
In second place was Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. A TD for Cork South-West since the 2020 general election, she spent €27,458 on the 2024 campaign. Posters cost Cairns €10,714, other election material €9,525 and advertising €5,979.
The third biggest spender was Jerry Buttimer, a Fine Gael TD in Cork South-Central. A TD from 2011 to 2016, Buttimer was re-elected last year. Currently the Minister of State for Rural and Community Development, Charities and Transport, he spent €24,975 on the 2024 campaign. Of that total, €4,532 went on posters, €17,794 on other election material and €1,336 on advertising.
At the other end of the spectrum was Sinn Féin TD for Cork-East Pat Buckley. A member of the Dáil since 2016, he spent just €5,327 on the 2024 campaign with that total divided fairly evenly between posters and other election material.
The second lowest spender was Labour’s Eoghan Kenny. Elected to the Dáil for the first time in 2024, the Cork North-Central TD spent €7,149 with €2,738 going on posters, €1,699 on other election material and €2,173 on advertising.
Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was also relatively frugal in his campaign spend, coming in 14th out of the 20 successful candidates. A TD for Cork South-Central since 1989, Martin spent €12,932 with €8,340 of that going on posters, €2,292 on other election material and €1,550 on office and stationery costs.
Elected candidates and those who get at least a quarter of a quota can apply to be reimbursed for their expenses by the state up to a maximum of €11,200.
The campaign workers who stuff leaflets in letter boxes and tramp the streets in all weathers appear to be less fortunate – just four of the 20 TDs elected in Cork in 2024 included payments to campaign workers in their expense statements.