According to figures lodged with the US Department of Justice, the party's US support group 'Friends of Sinn Fein, Inc' raised $422,757 in the six months to 30 April last.

In previous six months, a further $141,737.87 was raised by the party . . . giving a total of $564,494.87 for the 12-month period.

Despite the size of the largesse, the figure is actually down on the previous 12 months. For the six month period to 30 April, 2005, Friends of Sinn Fein raised $573,681. The average raised of $47,000 a month is also only half what the group was bringing at the start of the decade.

However, the sharp jump in the figures between the first and second six-month periods in the year just gone suggests that fundraising opportunities may again improve for the party.

Sinn Fein has raised over $7m in the US since 1995 when Bill Clinton lifted a ban on its fundraising. However, since 2005, the US administration has introduced restrictions on senior Sinn Fein figures, such as Gerry Adams, travelling to the US and raising money for the party. This was introduced in the wake of controversies over the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Robert McCartney.