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THE IRISH STATE has spent over €130 million on referendums since the start of the century, newly released figures show.
The figures show the total cost of various referendums to the Irish taxpayer since the year 2001 at
Since that time, Ireland has had 15 referendums on various issues.
In some cases votes for different referendums took place on the same day, and so associated cost were lumped in together.
The most expensive referendum held this century concerned the nation voting for the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008.
The total cost of this vote to the State was €22.2 million. In this instance the treaty was rejected by the Irish electorate.
The second most expensive referendum was the second Lisbon Treaty a year later in 2009. That cost €17.5 million and in this case the treaty was accepted by the electorate.
The marriage equality referendum and the referendum on the eligible age to be able to run for president in 2015 cost the state €15 million in total.
Below is a list of the associated costs of each referendum and the year they were held.
Referendums from 2004 and 2011 are not included as the costs were lumped in with local and European elections held on respective days.
The figures were released to Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen on the back of a Parliamentary Question to Public Expenditure and Reform minister Paschal Donohoe.
Expenditure
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) said that funding for referendums covers a large number of areas.
“The costs for a referendum relate to the conduct of the election such as publicity, taking the poll, the counting of votes and administrative support,” the spokesperson said.
They include fitting up the poll and count centres, the conveying of ballot boxes, documents and communication for the count and the printing of ballot papers and the services of the Local Returning Officers.
Returning Officers of each district are given control over the pay and funding for referendums in their area, and they are in turn reimbursed by the DPER.
The spokesperson also said that the disparate costs of various referendums was down to a range of factors.
“The costs for the different referendums vary for a number of reasons,” the spokesperson said.
For example, due to changes in the numbers on the electoral register, the complexity of the issue to be explained by the Referendum Commission, the duration of the count etc.
Reductions in wages and costs as a result of the economic crisis and the holding of a number of referendums in the same period are given as reasons for the disparate costs of each of the referendums.
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I have to agree with a referendum but the result is the result should never have to go back .The biggest waste of money in this Country is those stupid inquiries not one person has been prosecuted and it was only a bit of fun for the wealthy . This Country needs a serious overhaul and I don’t think the present government has any idea how to do that we have all these young whizz kids sitting around the Dail twiddling their thumbs while the same crap goes on over and back we have to get rid of the old guys and let the kids at it. We need a complete new political structure .
Eh we already voted not to give the Dail more power to charge people. Well I voted for but it didn’t carry.
Yah but Deborah they would twist it some way even if it did pass .
@Donal Carey: The Mirror – maybe some exaggeration but the political costs far outweight the referendum costs. The more the better – doesn’t the politicos though
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/irelands-political-expenses-shame-uncover-5863670
Well I suppose the Irish people got the answer wrong with some of the European questions and they had to go again!
Should gave the senate abolition one again …. It would pass this time
Actually don’t think €133m is that much when you take into account the billions wasted on inquiries the bertty bowl the prison that never got built Irish Water….. Etc etc. In the last 14 years.
Good point Thomas throw in those electronic voting machines too!
How much did it cost us to rerun Nice and Lisbon because we gave the establishment the wrong answer?
@Eamonn:
So under no circumstance should people be allowed to change there minds?
Good, that’s the whole ‘Repeal the Eight’ thing sorted.
We voted once so we cannot vote again
Its not a lot tbf. But a referendum on irish water, the 8th etc should be held
I think the best part of our referendums has yet to come. I will work to destroy the EU and all its climate nonsense and wind turbines. We got it wrong on the abolition of the Senate, pity
Go live in America
@Val Martin:
Think the seanad would have been abolished if was a simple yes /no..but too much political power would have been given to the sitting government ..still no sign of the reform we were promised..surprise, surprise .
133m…well if there is another way to do a feasability study on how to change a result Id like to hear it.
Follow the money… Reminds me of The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer with Peter Cook?
I propose we have a referendum on not having any more referendums.
I like referendums. What is missing is the people’s right to petition. I’d say we have a fixed referendum day every two years. A petition of the people with let’s say 150,000 signatures of registered voters, plus a validation bond of €100,000 would put a proposal on the ballot.
@John Flood: Maybe but needs to be a lot more than 150,000.
500,000?
@John Flood: John, we don’t like direct democracy in this country. We need our political hacks to decide what we can and can’t vote on.
Article 48 of the 1922 constitution had this provision.
The founders of the Irish Free State thought it wise to include a provision, Article 48, in the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State that made the people the ultimate rulers of Ireland by giving them the direct powers to make, mould, amend and repeal their own laws.
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