The Chief Electoral Commissioner stressed in a statement today that the €4,631,688 bill for the spring hunting referendum also included the costs for local elections in 34 localities.
The commissioner was reacting to media reports in the wake of information given in reply to a parliamentary question.
The commissioner said in a statement that whenever council elections are held in conjunction with a national election or referendum, it is not possible to separate the expenditure, as in the case of the production and distribution of voting documents, the service rendered by assistant electoral commissioners in polling stations and transport.