Donegal South-West by-election will cost taxpayer more than €300,000

It’s been claimed the imminent by-election in Donegal is set to turn into a very costly affair for the taxpayer and come with a final bill of more than €300,000.
The recent Dublin South by-election cost €212,136, according to newly published figures from the Department of Finance.
The by-election in Donegal South West will come with a similar price tag to the Dublin South by-election, on top of the legal costs arising from the court case taken by Sinn Fein to get the election held.
Experts estimate the legal bill could be between €100,000 and €150,000 but it is likely to rise further because the Cabinet decided to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
Fine Gael’s claiming that there would be a huge saving to the taxpayer if all four by-elections were held on the same day.
The Government has been forced to hold the long-awaited by-election on November 25 after a damning High Court ruling.
It means the Government will have to focus on campaigning for the Donegal South West by-election just before the crucial December 7 Budget — although there will be fewer ministerial visits than normal to the constituency.