SINN Féin racked up the highest bills of any political party in Limerick on social media advertising through Facebook and Instagram, the Limerick Post can reveal.
Over the past three months, the party spent €1,599 on ads on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram targeting the Limerick area, more than every other party combined.
This theme is reflected nationally, with Sinn Féin spending a total of €44,450 for 88 ads on Meta so far in 2024.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin senator Paul Gavan spent €214 on his own social media ads, separate to his party’s overall spend.
The second biggest spender was Fianna Fáil, spending €711 on Meta ads over the past 90 days.
This was followed by Fine Gael, who spent €383.
The lowest spender was the Labour Party, who spent less than €100 on ads on Meta.
The figures come from a report carried out by Mulley Communications, showing that Sinn Féin far outspends its counterparts nationwide when it comes to paying for social media advertisements.
In a statement to the Limerick Post, a spokesperson for Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan said that his social media spending is used to promote his work for Limerick.
“In the same way that Senator Gavan pays for advertising in local newspapers, such as the Limerick Post, he also pays for ads on Facebook as he uses his social media to promote the work he does in the Seanad,” the spokesperson said.
Nationally, the second highest spender was Fine Gael, spending €8,450 on 83 ads, followed by Fianna Fáil paying €7,070 for 334 ads, many of which were specifically targeted to towns or counties.
The Labour Party paid for eight ads, with a total spend of €2,450, while the Social Democrats paid €600 for 16 ads.
The only political party who did not pay for any ads on Meta was People Before Profit.
The most common themes across ads paid for by all parties was housing, the cost of living crisis, a campaign for a “yes” vote in the recent referendums, a critique of current government policies, and calling for a general election.
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, and the Labour Party were all contacted for comment in relation to their social media spending, however no response was received from any at the time of going to print.
