Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

The debate thus far clearly indicates what people think of his approach. Members of his own party will inform us that they strongly disagree with his views. I will leave my comments at that on the matter.

The Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, of which Senator Coffey and I are members, recently compiled a report on the electoral register. That report which was partly informed by a visit we made to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland contains some extremely radical and useful proposals. Thus far, every effort that has been made to improve the electoral register has failed. Successive Administrations, including that currently in power, are guilty in this regard. People who voted in the most recent local elections have discovered that their names have disappeared from the register in the interim, which is unacceptable. In such circumstances, I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley who is anxious to address this important matter to the House in order that we might engage in a meaningful debate. The Minister could take that opportunity to bring forward definitive proposals aimed at solving the problems in respect of the electoral register and people's democratic right to vote.