Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask those present to be careful with their mobile phones as they interrupt the sound system.

We are dealing with an update from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on the design and layout of ballot papers used in the Seanad referendum in 2013. Members will recall that, following the referendum in October 2013, a former member of the joint committee, now Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, raised concerns about the design and layout of the ballot paper used. This followed feedback from constituents after the referendum when a number of people indicated that they had been very confused on how they should complete the ballot paper and what they were voting for. International standards require that the question being put to voters must be clear. Clear identification of each ballot paper is also essential where more than one referendum proposal is being put on the same day.

The secretariat engaged with the Department on the issue and, following consideration of the information received, it was agreed to invite departmental officials to appear before the committee on 16 April 2014. Following this discussion the joint committee agreed and published a report with recommendations. The report, launched in June 2014, included a provision that the committee seek a progress report on the Department's progress in implementing the recommendations listed. The report was also chosen to be debated in the Dáil on 7 November 2014.

We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Enda Falvey, Ms Mary Lane and Ms Mairéad Ryan from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. I thank them for forwarding their presentation which has been circulated to members.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I invite Mr. Falvey to make his presentation.