Overview

• Connolly’s team said a portion of her Parliamentary Activities Allowance was used for a fact‑finding visit to Syria and was recorded under the research heading.
• The campaign stated the €3,691 covered standard travel and subsistence, produced no personal benefit, and complied with Oireachtas rules and SIPO reporting.
• Her 2018 SIPO return shows total declared spending of €35,639 from the allowance, while Independent TDs could access €37,037 that year with possible carryovers.
• Connolly previously told reporters in July, when asked who funded the trip taken with Clare Daly, Mick Wallace and Maureen O’Sullivan, that she funded it herself.
• She has called a meeting during the trip with Fares Al‑Shehab a mistake and has reiterated her condemnation of the Assad regime, with no formal finding of wrongdoing reported.