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Paschal Donohoe has said he will pay back businessman Michael Stone for his campaign contribution three years ago.
laming his benefactor for repeatedly failing to recall aid given to him at the 2020 general election, the minister told the Dáil today: “There was some recollection by my team of support being provided by Michael Stone in 2020.
“But despite my asking directly a couple of times, Mr Stone’s view was that he had not provided any support three years ago.
“This was confirmed to me on more than one occasion.”
On Wednesday night of last week, after his first Dáil statement, Mr Donohoe said he received a call from Michael Stone.
He said a member of his team had recalled “support being provided in 2020 through the campaign team.”
This prompted the call, and Mr Stone had provided the details of the support provided in his statement earlier today, he said.
“I was unaware of any of these details prior to Wednesday night.”
Despite his best efforts in recent weeks to ensure that the “fullest account” of the support given in both 2016 and 2020 was accurate, a new filing would now have to be for the 2020 General Election, he said.
It would reflect “the new information to the amount of €864 for labour and €392.20 for vehicles for support received during the election period.”
Mr Donohoe said he was now aware “that an unauthorised corporate donation of €434.20 was unknowingly received by Fine Gael Dublin Central.”
This was in the form of the use of vehicles, the commercial value of which exceeded the maximum allowable donation limit of €200, he said.
“SIPO have been notified of this breach and €234.20, the amount received in excess of the allowable limit, will be refunded to the Designer Group.”
An amendment will also be made to the value of €1,256.20 for the work carried out and use of the vans up to polling day, he said.
He said he was aiming to be “fully transparent on all details.” The statement he previously made “was an honest reflection of the information I had.”
When SIPO returns were submitted in both in 2016 and 2020, they were believed to be accurate, he said.
“Any postering done throughout the campaigns was not paid for by Fine Gael Dublin Central nor by me,” he said.
“All activity, it was understood, was carried out by volunteers on a voluntary basis.”
Mr Donohoe added: “Let me be clear. Neither I nor my team were aware of any payments to any individuals for the erection or removal of posters in either election at the time of filing election returns.
“The vast majority of my posters were erected and taken down on a voluntary basis. This was, we believed, the case with regard to the support given by Michael Stone.
“Having undertaken reviews designed to determine the full facts, we have always taken the appropriate steps to correct the record.”
Mr Stone’ s statement “represents his best and fullest recollection of events,” he said.
“Since Thursday, I have been working to ensure that the information regarding the 2020 General Election is completely accurate.
I have informed the Dáil of the facts as I have known them to be true at each and every juncture.
“I again apologise for the difficulties this has caused for my party and the distraction it has caused to the important work of Government.
“I have always sought to hold myself, and those around me, to the highest standards,” Mr Donohoe said.
“Finally, I would like to say that I deeply regret that this has caused the loss of Michael Stone from the boards of both the Land Development Agency and the North East Inner City Taskforce.
“Mr Stone has given his time freely in an attempt to make a difference to the lives of those faced with significant challenges.
“His experience will be a great loss to both.”
Sinn Féin spokesman on Finance, Pearse Doherty, accused Mr Donohoe of reverse-engineering the facts on his campaign donations.
Mr Donohoe said what was being discussed was “an inadvertent donation” which was being remedied with SIPO, but it actually referred to postering, which he had assumed was being done on a voluntary basis.
Mr Doherty said the Minister had previously claimed in November to have carried out a review of his 2016 expenses and found everything to be in order. He said the issue of a supplied van had been raised as far back as 2017.
Mr Donohoe said he had assumed that all posters had been put up on a voluntary basis, but in 2017 “I should have amended my electoral expenses at that time to take account of the use of a commercial van that had at the time a value of €140.”
The Sinn Féin spokesman asked how many posters had been put up in 2016 and 2020 for Mr Donohoe as Fine Gael candidate.
The minister said his “key mistake” was assuming it was all done on a voluntary basis. He had not been able to determine how many posters had been put up, he said.
He told Mr Doherty: “I don’t know whether you are interested in my answers, or my head.” Mr Doherty said the cover-up had been going on for weeks, and was interrupted by the Ceann Comhairle who said he should not shout down the minister in his answer.
Ged Nash of the Labour Party said the value yardstick was what the benefits would cost to buy on the open market. “Standards matter, accountability matters. Ethics matter, and full disclosure matters. I believe that integrity matters to you do.”
It gave him no pleasure to say that Mr Donohoe had broken the electoral rules on two occasions, and “third chances don’t come around very often in politics,” which was why he should give clear answers, Mr Nash said.
There was a central fantasy that the donations were made to fine Gael in Dublin Central, and not to Mr Donohoe personally, “the face on the poster.”
He said that if he was the second candidate for Fine Gael in Dublin Central he would be really annoyed, because they had not benefitted.
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