14 January 2002

---

Challenge to big business donors to political parties: `Redirect cash to non-party efforts to mobilise voters'

The prospective Sinn Fein TD for Dublin South-West has challenged business donors to switch their money from political parties to non-party publicity campaigns and help reverse falling turn-outs at election time.

South Dublin County Councillor Seán Crowe said:

``Big businesses tell us that donations to parties are not about buying favours from politicians. If that's true then surely switching their money to encourage more people to vote and get involved in decision making in civic society is one way of proving it.''

The Sinn Fein councillor said that the euro currency information campaign has been an obvious success for its organisers and something similar should be done to boost voter turn-out.

Cllr Crowe said that corporate donations could be used to fund media advertising campaigns and initiatives such as the community-based, non-party `Active Citizenship Programme' run by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice. ENDS

---

Sinn Fein Press Office, 44 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Tel: +353-1-8726100 and +353-1-8726839   ·   Fax +353-1-8733074
E-mail: sinnfein@irlnet.com   ·   Website: http://www.sinnfein.org

---

Sinn Fein   ·   Sinn Fein Documents

---