Sinn Féin has still not corrected SIPO returns for 4 elections – Burke

The main opposition party has still not amended their false and inaccurate returns for four national elections, a Fine Gael Minister has said.

Fine Gael Minister Peter Burke said Sinn Féin still have to correct and file new and proper returns for the 2020 and 2016 General Elections, 2019 European Elections and 2014 Local Elections with the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO).

“More than ten months after revelations about Sinn Féin’s unpaid bills for venues, hotels and printers and undeclared polling surveys first emerged, the party has still not corrected the record with the State’s political watchdog.

“Why the delay in correcting the record with SIPO and filing new and this time, accurate, returns? Has more been uncovered that the public is unaware of,” Minister Burke added.

Last March when questioned about the matter, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald told reporters, ‘Where mistakes are made, they have to be corrected for.’

Minister Burke said nothing has been amended with the political watchdog by Sinn Féin as required by law.

“It appears that when it comes to filing proper and accurate returns, this has proved a bridge too far for Sinn Féin. SIPO has not published any new returns from the party.

“Why so? Why will they not amend and correct the record for elections going back almost a decade,” he said.