Crowe returns €800 of €1k donation on advice of SIPOC

Deputy Cathal Crowe returned €800 out of a €1,000 political donation from a Cratloe party supporter after he was advised by the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPOC) it exceeded the maximum amount that can be given in cash.

Daniel Lehane, Cratloe, sent a cash donation worth €1,000 to Deputy Crowe on January 26, 2021. Deputy Crowe was the only Clare Oireachtas member who declared a political donation above €600 from one source.

Deputies Joe Carey, Michael McNamara, Violet-Anne Wynne made no political donations declarations for the period January 1 to December 31, 2021, according to the publication of a new report from SIPOC.

Senators Martin Conway, Timmy Dooley and Roisín Garvey also made no political declarations to SIPOC for last year.

Under the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, public representatives may not accept donations in any year of more than €200 in cash, and not more than €1,000 in total value from a single source.

They must disclose any donations valued at or totalling €600 or more from an individual source. Donations below this reporting threshold need not be disclosed to the Commission.

On receipt of a donation of in excess of €100 a political donations account must be opened if one has not already been opened by a TD, Senator or MEP.

€200 is the maximum cash donation that may be accepted by donations a TD, Senator or MEP in any calendar year from a donor.

Only four Oireachtas members received donations above the threshold for which they had to declare them, including Deputy Crowe.

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik, who was elected to the Dáil from the Seanad in the Dublin Bay South by-election, received a donation of €1,000 from an individual. Fianna Fáil senators Lorraine Clifford Lee and Shane Cassels both received donations of €800 and €1,000. All three donations were by cheque.

Deputy Crowe told the Clare Champion he received a number of donation from party supporters in 2020 and the most substantial was a €1,000 cheque from the INTO union who have a long standing practice of making donations to its members.

After receiving a cash donation of €1,000 in cash from a party supporter, Deputy Crowe recalled he was advised by SIPO the threshold was lower because it is cash and duly complied with their request to refund €800.

“I didn’t realise there was a different threshold for a cash donation versus a cheque donation. I was compliant in disclosing and reimbursing part of this donation that was above the threshold.