Take a look at this explanatory note:
Conditions to be Satisfied to Avail of the Section 54 Exemption
4.1 Revenue will now apply the gift tax exemption under the “public purposes” provisions of section 54 CATA, 1976, to political donations that meet the various conditions and requirements under the Electoral Acts. These include the requirements that the donation;
• is made to a political party, a member of either House of the Oireachtas, a candidate at a Dail, Seanad, European or Presidential Election,
• does not exceed the maximum permissible limit of €2,539.48 (£2,000) for individual politicians/candidates and €6,348.69 (£5,000) for political parties in any given year or in the context of any specific Dail, Seanad, European or Presidential Election,
• is not anonymous (unless less than €126.97(£100)) or prohibited (e.g. from a person residing outside Ireland other than an Irish Citizen).
• is of a type set out in section 22(2)(a)(i) of the Electoral Act, 1997 e.g. a donation of money, a donation of property or goods, the supply of a service free or for less than full commercial price, etc. and • that the donation is expended on political purposes (as defined in section 49(b) of the Electoral Act, 2001 – see Appendix) whether in the context of an election or otherwise.
Did Fianna Fail pay gift tax on the Durkan New Homes donation?