Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

While it had been my intention to speak on this issue before it was raised by Deputy Ring, he made an important point regarding the work of local authorities in respect of future elections. There have been great debates previously on the register of electors and the manner in which it is dealt with. In common with all Members, not a day passes in which I do not receive a call to the effect that I have written to someone who has moved on or, unfortunately, has died. It happens to all Members and always is upsetting. However, for all those who work from the registers and try to make sense of them while simultaneously trying to interpret them from a perspective of local knowledge, there always are times when people will be upset because one has written to them, called on them or whatever. My father, who was living in Kilnamanagh, Tallaght at the time of his death, has been dead for 12 years and my sister still receives occasional letters addressed to him for all sorts of reasons, although he has been off the register for a considerable time.

Although this happens, I believe the register of electors still is seriously flawed. This does not simply pertain to Tallaght, Dublin South-West or south County Dublin because I listen to colleagues on all sides who make exactly the same point. I am sure the Ministers of State who are present, Deputies Máire Hoctor and Tony Killeen, understand the same issues. It is important to establish that something must be done in this regard. In recent years, the issue has come up on a regular basis and it certainly arises when elections approach. Although Members hold debates and discuss how the registers will be organised, problems remain. I glanced at the Dublin South-West register over the weekend and even with my limited knowledge, found people who no longer are at the addresses provided and who, for one reason or other, no longer seek their vote there. Together with other colleagues, I would be interested to know the extent of the problem and what will be done about it.

While I apologise for mentioning Deputy Ring so frequently, he referred to one solution to deal with this issue. While I always have taken the view the local authority should be in the best position to deal with the issues because it is on the ground, to an extent this does not work. Last time, many attempts were made nationwide to tidy up the register and to create a situation whereby people who did not inform the local authority somehow found themselves off the register. People, not simply in my community, who had been on the register for all their lives suddenly found themselves going to the polling station only to discover they were not on the register.

While I do not wish to say too much about this case, during the vote on the Lisbon treaty I spoke to a local bishop who did not get a vote. As a local bishop, he is well known. However, he went to his polling station, produced his identification and was not given his ballot. I cannot understand how this can happen. It emphasises the point made by me and by Members on all sides that the register of electors needs attention. Members keep talking about it and demanding action. As day follows night, next June and July colleagues will be here making the point that constituents went to a polling station but could not vote. It is relevant to this business at a time when we are talking strongly about promoting voting in all areas. Parts of my constituency of Dublin South-West have particular challenges with regard to getting people out to vote and I spend much time, as other colleagues do, trying to get the message across to groups such as secondary school pupils about the importance of voting.

I have always taken the view that citizenship is the more important issue. If one is to look for votes, they will certainly not come about if people are not registered or not coming out to vote. We all have a role to play in that regard and we must keep to getting that message across. To be parochial, we have a local organisation in Tallaght with An Cosán, of which I am sure many Deputies have heard. It engaged with the four local Deputies — Deputies Conor Lenihan, Brian Hayes, Pat Rabbitte and myself — at the last election and we helped promote a project to get people registered and interested in voting. It is important we do so.

I know other colleagues have different views about the kind of day we have had in the Dáil. I am very happy we are back. My young granddaughter, Heather, told me this morning that she had heard adults saying I was back in work. I had to gently correct her and say all Deputies had been working away throughout the summer, apart from a short break. Whatever the kind of agenda we have today, the business before us is important and I look forward to the passage of this Bill. I wish the Minister well as he goes about his business and thank the Acting Chairman for his courtesy.

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