Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Mairéad Farrell TD, has said that Minister Paschal Donohoe’s attempt to explain his flouting of election rules as an oversight “doesn’t wash” and that “his sums don’t add up.”

She said:

“The attempt by Paschal Donohoe to suggest that services provided to his campaign by his friend’s company do not constitute a political donation to him stretches all credibility. 

“The Standards in Public Office Commission issued guidelines to all election candidates during the 2016 election where they make it clear that if an individual incurs expenses on a candidate during the campaign and pays for this from his own resources, then this is deemed to be a political donation to the candidate. 

“The rules are very clear on this. A candidate cannot accept a donation above €1,000. 

“This donation was above that limit. 

“The value that Paschal has ascribed to this service, provided by his friend, is a fraction of the commercial cost of such a service. His sums don’t add up.

“His attempt to brush off his flouting of election rules as an oversight doesn’t wash.

“The Minister must come clean and thoroughly answer all of the outstanding issues.”