45. Are there limits on online media advertising spending in relation to election campaigns?

"Electoral Act 1997 (as amended by S.I. No. 113/2007 - Electoral Act 1997 (Limitation and Reimbursement of Election Expenses at Dáil Election) Order 2007) Section 32.
—(1) (a) The aggregate of election expenses which may be incurred by or on behalf of a candidate in connection with his or her candidature at a Dáil election shall not exceed— (i) in the case of a constituency returning three members, £14,000; (ii) in the case of a constituency returning four members, £17,000; and (iii) in the case of a constituency returning five members, £20,000. (b) (i) Where a political party authenticates the candidature of a candidate at a Dáil election, the party may incur such proportion not exceeding fifty per cent, of the amount of the election expenses which that candidate is entitled to incur at that election under paragraph (a), as may be agreed in writing between the party and the candidate concerned. (ii) The election expenses which a political party may incur under subparagraph (i) may relate to expenditure in the constituency concerned or otherwise, and the said election expenses shall be deemed for the purposes of paragraph (a) to be expenses incurred by that candidate. (2) Subject to subsection (1)(b)(i), the aggregate of election expenses which may be incurred by the national agent of a political party on behalf of that party at a Dáil election shall be the sum of the amounts of election expenses agreed in writing pursuant to subsection (1)(b)(i) between the party and candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the party at the election.  S.I. No. 113/2007 - Electoral Act 1997 (Limitation and Reimbursement of Election Expenses at Dáil Election) Order 2007. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Electoral Act 1997 (No. 25 of 1997), hereby orders as follows:- 1. This order may be cited as the Electoral Act 1997 (Limitation and Reimbursement of Election Expenses at Dáil Election) Order 2007. 2. The amount of election expenses which may be reimbursed to a candidate under section 21 of the Electoral Act 1997 , as provided for in subsection (1)(b)(i) of that section, shall be the actual expenses incurred by the candidate or €8,700, whichever is the less. 3. The aggregate of election expenses which may be incurred by or on behalf of a candidate in connection with his or her candidature at a Dáil election, as provided for in section 32 (1)(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) of the Electoral Act 1997 , shall not exceed €30,150, €37,650 and €45,200 respectively."

Online media advertising is subject to the general spending limits for candidates and political parties. There is no spending limit for third parties. See Standards In Public Office Commission. 2020. Guidelines for the General Election to the 33rd Dáil 8 February 2020 [National Agents, Third Parties, Other Persons and Publishers], p. 20.