Your Vote is Your Voice

23 June 2026 – The Registrar of Political Parties (the Registrar) has today given notice of his intention to cancel the registration of the Irish Freedom Party, under Section 50(6) of the Electoral Reform Act (2022) and so remove the party from the Register of Political Parties.

The Registrar received two separate applications in recent months seeking to update the details of the Irish Freedom Party in the Register of Political Parties. The information provided in each application was insufficient and, when considered together, the applications contained conflicting claims.

Despite repeated requests for clarification and further information, the Registrar was not satisfied that either application demonstrated compliance with the requirements that all registered political parties must meet under section 47 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

As a result, and in accordance with section 50(6) of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, the Registrar is required to cancel the registration of the Irish Freedom Party.

The decision made by the Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the Electoral Commission, Mr. Art O’Leary, as Ireland’s Registrar of Political Parties, will become effective after a 21-day appeal period, or the outcome of any such appeal.

The formal notification has today been published in the official Irish State gazette, Iris Oifigiúil.

The Irish Freedom Party was first registered as political party eligible to stand candidates in Ireland’s Dáil, Local and European elections in June 2019.

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For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Affairs Manager,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

Section 50(6) of the Electoral Reform Act (2022)

• Under Section 50(6) of the Electoral Reform Act (2022): “Where a political party registered in the register fails to comply with subsection (1), or information provided by it, in purported compliance with that subsection, is not such as to enable the Registrar to comply with section 47 or otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of this Chapter, the Registrar shall, following such inquiry as it considers appropriate, publish in Iris Oifigiúil notice of its intention to cancel the registration of the party and the Registrar shall notify the party concerned of its intention and that the party may appeal the decision under section 51.”

The registration of political parties

• The registration of political parties function held by An Coimisiún Toghcháin is set out in Chapter 6 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022.
• The Registrar of Political Parties is the chief executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Mr. Art O’Leary.
• Parties can apply to be registered as a party organised in the State to contest Dáil, European or local elections. To be registered they must meet the criteria set out in legislation.
• More information on the registration process, and the necessary application forms are available on the Commission’s website at https://www.electoralcommission.ie/what-we-do/electoral-operations/