Analysis: There is no way parties could survive on the level of donations they are disclosing

With Fianna Fáil recording just €2,500 in disclosed donations for 2019, it is clear the legislation in this area needs an overhaul

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin: Martin’s Fianna Fáil recorded significantly lower donations than Varadkar’s Fine Gael or Sinn Féin. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Voters will be astonished to learn that the country’s political parties only managed to attract €175,000 in disclosed donations last year.

The newly published annual donations report of the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) shows that Fine Gael had the most successful fundraising operations with around €79,500 in disclosed donations.

That was entirely made up of personal donations to the party from its TDs, Senators and MEPs. Bernard Durkan, the veteran Fine Gael Kildare ...