Law to stop social media management abroad for political parties

New election laws will “effectively prohibit” political parties from allowing their social media accounts to be managed outside of Ireland.

Legislation on political donations and electoral reform are being expanded to ensure there is greater transparency around how parties are funded.

It comes after the Irish Independent revealed Sinn Féin’s Facebook accounts were being managed by people based in Serbia and Germany.

Facebook ad library data shows Sinn Féin’s main account has been managed by people in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Serbia.

Meanwhile, party leader Mary Lou McDonald’s account has been operated by people based in Ireland, the UK and Germany. A number of other Sinn Féin members whose accounts have been managed from Germany include Eoin Ó Broin, Pearse Doherty, David Cullinane, Martin Kenny, Padraig Mac Lochlainn, Matt Carthy and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will bring a memo to Cabinet in the coming weeks seeking to add to the proposed Electoral Reform Bill 2021, which is due before the Dáil this year.

He wants to ban parties from transferring funding or resources from branches of their organisation based outside of Ireland into the State for electoral purposes.

The new legislation will mean any transfer of “money or resources” will be treated as a political donation that will limit the amount parties can transfer between their organisation to €2,500.

A briefing note on the legislative changes says this will “effectively prohibit” parties from having staff outside of Ireland “manage social media accounts active in this State”.

It is also aimed at banning politicians from receiving training or political advice paid for by units of their party based outside of the country.

It will also prohibit parties from commissioning and paying for political research outside of the State and transferring the findings to operations in the country.

It will also stop parties from deploying paid party officials based in other countries to campaign during elections in Ireland.

Foreign political donations are banned in Ireland but Irish citizens living abroad can make donations up to €2,500 a year to political parties. The Electoral Reform Bill will clarify that subsidies of parties overseas will have the same law applied to them.

“The goal of the new sections is to create a level playing field and ensure full transparency in the crucial area of how political parties are financed in the Republic of Ireland,” a Government source said.

“This is an important step in protecting the integrity of our democracy,” they added.

Mr O’Brien is also introducing an amendment to the electoral reform legislation that will require all party leaders to declare all transfer of funds in cash or in kind between any operations they have in Ireland and outside of the country.

Parties will also be required to provide full consolidated financial accounts of their operations in Ireland, Northern Ireland or anywhere else in the world where they have staff or bases.

The Electoral Reform Bill will also require parties to give a detailed breakdown of properties they own in Ireland and outside the State.

All bank accounts associated with properties owned by parties will also have to be disclosed.

Parties will also be required to show that all properties have been bought in line with existing political donation laws.

If parties cannot or do not provide detailed evidence of how properties are purchased, the soon-to-be formed Electoral Commission will be able to sanction them.

 

Irish Independent