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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories InvestigatesElection Expenses ChatGPT, a €400 bar tab and an Apple laptop: What did candidates expense at the last election? The Journal Investigates looked at some of the more unusual expenses from candidates in the general election. 12.06am, 13 Nov 2025 Share options CHATGPT, NOVELTY BISCUITS and a €400 bar tab – these are just some of the more unusual election expenses listed on candidates’ returns after the general election. The Journal Investigates examined 528 election expense forms returned to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) by candidates following General Election 2024. Our team has previously revealed that it costs, on average, over €20,000 to run a successful campaign. We also found that at least €1 million was spent on social media advertising, with experts saying that the new ban by big tech companies on these political ads leaves our elections ‘susceptible to bad actors’. Aside from the typical spending on election posters, ads in local papers and social media promotion, some candidates spent money on more peculiar items in a bid to win over voters. These included everything from car wraps and branded gilet jackets, to keyrings and an Apple laptop. Guidance from Sipo states that election expenses are anything “incurred in the provision of property, goods or services for use at the election during the election period”. This rather wide definition means that expenses can be almost anything provided that they promote or oppose the interests of a political party or the election of a candidate, help present policies, solicit votes or otherwise influence the outcome of the election. Some examples of expenses that Sipo considers as not meeting the threshold include childcare costs, parking fines and the removal of election posters after polling day. While some 150 reports have yet to be published by Sipo, the expense statements that have been uploaded show the unexpected and sometimes eyebrow-raising things candidates spend money on trying to get elected. A spokesperson for Sipo said, “candidates include all their expenses in an election expense statement and not just the expenses they are seeking to receive a reimbursement for.” Investigations like this don’t happen without your support… Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Support The Journal Investigates Sandwiches, ‘subsistence’ and a €400 bar tab At least four candidates declared food and drink expenses for campaign workers according to their election expense forms. Advertisement This is significant because this section of the Sipo form clearly states that “the payment of reasonable expenses for volunteer campaign workers e.g. for tea/coffee, alcohol, food and accommodation are not an election expense.” Fine Gael’s Peter Roche (Galway East) spent over €1,200 on “food & beverages” for campaign workers, while Independent Ireland’s Michal Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway) spent €2,039 on “food and refreshments”. €700 of Fitzmaurice’s expenses was spent at a restaurant in Roscommon, and €370 was paid for sandwiches from SuperValu. Fitzmaurice told our team that these expenses were included in the Sipo forms in the “interests of transparency and accountability” and that this money was paid out of his own pocket as a ‘thank you’ gesture to his election team. He added that this money was not recouped from the state. Roche also said that he included all expenses incurred during the campaign to “ensure full transparency in reporting all campaign-related costs”. Minister for Culture and Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’Donovan spent €990 on “subsistence” for campaign workers without disclosing what this refers to. His office did not respond to questions from our team on what this meant. Independent candidate Nick Delehanty also spent significantly on food and drink for his campaign workers, including €400 at Foley’s Bar in Dublin City. This is alongside eight other declared expenses at bars and restaurants across Dublin, including a French wine bar, and at The Yacht in Clontarf, totalling €336. Responding to questions from our team, Delehanty said that “the €400 for Foley’s Bar was a campaign launch event for supporters and volunteers.” He added that the other charges related to “a catch-up over a pint/coke or sandwich” with volunteers after every canvass during the campaign. Delehanty was ultimately unsuccessful in his election bid, unlike Roche, Fitzmaurice and O’Donovan, but he was entitled to a refund from the state for reaching 25% of the quota in Dublin Bay South. Each candidate spent more than the maximum refund of €11,200, meaning that not all expenses will be recouped. A spokesperson for Sipo also told The Journal Investigates that “election expenses deemed outside the definition of allowable expenses are not included in reimbursements.” They added that the Standards Commission reviews the expense statements submitted by candidates to determine what is an allowable expense. It is unclear whether any of these food and drink-related expenses were deemed to be invalid by Sipo. Fianna Fáil’s Robbie Gallagher also spent €1,870 on breakfast events at two different hotels. These, however, were listed under ‘publicity’ and related to campaign promotion. He told our team that the events were for party members in Monaghan. Related Reads Political ad ban by social media companies leaves elections ‘susceptible to bad actors’ Fancy running for the Dáil? Here’s how much it might cost you ChatGPT, Zoom subscriptions and novelty biscuits Just one candidate declared their use of ChatGPT during the election, with Fianna Fáil’s Rita McInerney spending €29.40 for a ‘more advanced’ version of the artificial intelligence chatbot. She told our team that it was used for “research and information on topics” related to the campaign. McInerney stood for the party in Clare but was not elected despite spending almost €17,500 on her campaign. But she wasn’t the only candidate to expense a subscription. In Cork North Central, Sinn Féin’s Joe Lynch spent almost €130 on Zoom, while Aontú’s James Morris expensed a €115 X Premium subscription in Dublin Bay North. Lynch told our team that the subscription was used to arrange a meeting “to discuss childcare provision and Sinn Féin’s plans to reduce childcare fees”. He added that because many parents with young children struggle to attend traditional public meetings, an online format was chosen. Labour’s Lettie McCarthy in Dublin Rathdown brought a tried-and-tested student politics campaign tool to the general election by handing out €150 worth of novelty biscuits to passers-by. Unfortunately for McCarthy, this wasn’t enough to win a seat. Other expenses include almost €900 spent on car magnets by Sinn Féin’s Claire Kerrane, €90 on raffle tickets by independent candidate Diarmuid ‘Dougie’ Mac Dubhghlais and €40 for a babysitter for Labour candidate John Nesbit’s campaign worker. Mac Dubhghlais told our team that the raffle tickets were printed to raise funds for the campaign, but neither he nor Nesbit received refunds from the state for their election expenses. One of the biscuits Labour candidate Lettie McCarthy handed out during the election campaign.Instagram Car wraps, branded clothing and an Apple laptop In Dublin South West, Social Democrats candidate Ross O’Mullane spent €1,334 on an Apple “campaign” laptop. But this wasn’t the only unusual expense included in his return. He also spent €1,239 on keyrings from Chinese online retailer, Alibaba. A further €339 was spent on a courier for delivery of the keyrings. O’Mullane told our team that expensing the laptop was “included in error” and that he has submitted an amended return to Sipo to reflect this. The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here... You are now signed up He also added that for the keyrings, “express delivery was required due to the time sensitivity of the delivery for the election.” Some candidates opted to wrap their cars and vans in political advertising, though the cost of this varied wildly. In Wicklow, Fine Gael candidate Edward Timmins spent €2,769 on a car wrap, but fellow Fine Gael candidate Brian Brennan in Wicklow-Wexford spent just €719 wrapping his vehicle. Hiring vehicles was also popular. Independent candidate for Tipperary South, Mattie McGrath, spent €3,075 on hiring vans during the campaign, €2,750 on fuel and a further €939 at a local garage. Others also purchased branded clothing such as gilet jackets and hi-viz vests. Fine Gael’s Niamh Madden (Galway East) and independent candidate Kate O’Connell (Dublin Bay South) both spent over €900 on hi-vis jackets. Seeking protection from the winter rain on the campaign trail, Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane split the cost of “rain jackets” with his Waterford running mate Conor McGuinness, spending €405 each. And in Dublin Fingal East, Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell spent €220 on what was listed as “umbrella”. Farrell, now a lobbyist with Liquid Gas Ireland after losing his seat, clarified to our team that more than one umbrella had been purchased. While spending on advertising and election posters will likely remain the most important tool for candidates in attracting voters, the sometimes random expenses declared by candidates demonstrate the lengths many will go to in the hope of winning a seat. With additional reporting from Concubhar Ó Liatháin. The Journal Investigates Reporters & Data Analysis: Conor O’Carroll & Maria Delaney • Editor: Noel Baker • Social Media: Cliodhna Travers • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly Investigations like this don’t happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: Support The Journal Conor O'Carroll & Maria Delaney Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “ChatGPT, a €400 bar tab and an Apple laptop: What did candidates expense at the last election?”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “ChatGPT, a €400 bar tab and an Apple laptop: What did candidates expense at the last election?”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. 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