Last updated 11 August 2026

Terms of use

The rules for using publicpurse.ie, under the laws of Ireland.

Agreement

By accessing or using Public Purse at publicpurse.ie (the “Service”), you agree to these terms of use. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

These terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. The Irish courts have exclusive jurisdiction, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protections that may apply if you are a consumer resident elsewhere in the EU/EEA.

What Public Purse is

Public Purse is an independent transparency project. We collect, organise, and display public spending information published by Irish public bodies so it can be searched and explored more easily.

Our aim is to work towards indexing every line item of public spending. That goal is aspirational. Coverage is incomplete, uneven across bodies and time periods, and continually being expanded.

Public Purse is not a government website, not an official register, and not a substitute for records held by the relevant public body, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Oireachtas, or other official sources.

No official status

Nothing on the Service constitutes government advice, legal advice, financial advice, or an official statement of Irish public expenditure. References to departments, local authorities, agencies, TDs, or other institutions do not imply endorsement, partnership, or affiliation unless we expressly say so.

Spending data and accuracy

Spending records on Public Purse are derived from materials published by public bodies (for example purchase-order or payment publications). We may normalise, parse, score, or present that material for usability, but we do not guarantee that any record is complete, current, correctly parsed, or free from error.

In particular:

  • Source files can contain mistakes, omissions, inconsistent formatting, or delayed publication.
  • Our import and display processes can introduce parsing or classification errors.
  • Transparency scores and similar metrics are our own assessments, not official ratings.
  • Absence of a payment, supplier, or organisation from the Service does not mean the spending did not occur.
  • Presence of a record does not prove wrongdoing and should not be treated as an allegation.

If you need authoritative figures, consult the original publication, the relevant public body, or another official source. Where we link to a source URL or original document, that source remains the better reference for verification.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service in any way that breaks Irish or applicable EU law
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to accounts, systems, or data
  • Probe, scan, or overload the Service in a way that degrades it for others (except ordinary browsing and good-faith research at reasonable volume)
  • Scrape the Service in a manner that imposes an unreasonable load, circumvents access controls, or ignores reasonable technical limits
  • Misrepresent Public Purse data as an official government dataset or as your own original publication of the underlying public records without appropriate context
  • Use the Service to harass, defame, or unlawfully target individuals
  • Interfere with security, authentication, or integrity features of the Service

We may suspend or terminate access, including account access, if we reasonably believe these terms have been breached or if needed to protect the Service or other users.

Accounts

Some features (for example data exports) may require an account. You must provide a valid email address and keep your sign-in credentials and inbox secure. You are responsible for activity carried out through your account.

We use passwordless email sign-in. You must ensure you control the email address you use. Notify us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

Exports and APIs

Where we provide downloads, bulk exports, or APIs, they are offered to support research, journalism, civic tech, and public accountability. You must still comply with these terms, our privacy policy, and applicable law (including data protection law if your reuse involves personal data).

We may rate-limit, throttle, modify, or withdraw export or API access at any time, including to protect system stability or prevent abuse.

Intellectual property

The Public Purse name, branding, site design, and original content we create (such as our explanations, transparency scoring methodology presentation, and interface) are owned by us or our licensors.

Underlying spending data generally originates from public bodies. Those bodies may assert their own rights or release terms in the source materials. Crown/government copyright and open data terms, where applicable, remain a matter for the original publisher and the relevant legal framework. You are responsible for ensuring your reuse of source data is lawful.

You may share links to pages on Public Purse and make fair, accurate references to the Service. You may not present our branding in a way that suggests official status or endorsement.

Third-party sites and sources

The Service may link to external websites, documents, or datasets. We do not control those resources and are not responsible for their content, availability, or policies.

Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by Irish law, we disclaim warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that defects will be corrected.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Irish law, Public Purse and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss, or for loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising from your use of (or inability to use) the Service or reliance on any content on it.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under Irish law.

If you are a consumer, you retain any mandatory rights under Irish and EU consumer law that cannot be waived by contract.

Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Public Purse and its operators from claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, your breach of these terms, or your unlawful reuse of content obtained through the Service — except to the extent caused by our own unlawful conduct.

Privacy

Personal data is handled as described in our privacy policy. That policy forms part of how we operate the Service.

Changes to the Service and terms

We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time. We may also update these terms. The “Last updated” date will change when we do. If you continue using the Service after changes take effect, the updated terms apply.

Severability

If any provision of these terms is held invalid or unenforceable by a competent Irish court, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

Contact

Questions about these terms: hello@publicpurse.ie