Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late. I welcome the fact that there is a report back on this. It is good to hear that action is being taken along the lines we and many members of the public suggested.

There is a big problem with the register. First, there is a cut-off date which is tied to the old days when everything was done with pen and paper. I accept that processing must take place and that there must be a cut-off date at some point, but we must seriously consider a rolling register or a register where the cut-off date is within a week of the announcement of an election or referendum, or something to that effect. Some council areas have used a supplementary register to facilitate that. However, the huge number of people who went on the supplementary register in the last referendum, in particular, shows that there is something wrong with the system we currently have, because that number of people were not captured in the normal register.

In Dublin, there were 15 enumerators who travelled around Dublin every year and called to every house in the city. If one was not at home the leaflet was dropped in the letter box and one sent it back. One stayed on the register regardless but lately, if one did not send it back the names were being deleted. The number of enumerators in the city is substantially reduced. I was told by a former enumerator that, in Dublin city, it is possible that two-thirds of the houses in the city will not receive a visit this year. That means two-thirds of the register is inaccurate inasmuch as the enumerators make it accurate. That is scary. I do not know whether it is due to the local authorities not complying fully with the work they are required to do.

I firmly believe we should return to the way the supplementary register was compiled. In the past, one was able to go on the supplementary register up to a week or ten days before the vote.

If one wants to vote in an upcoming election, one could be asked by the returning officer to put one's name on the supplementary register and one would have to go through the rigmarole of going to a Garda station and getting a garda to sign the form. When I was in Pearse Street Garda station a month ago, it took 20 minutes for a garda to come to the desk. If one was waiting for a form to be filled, one might say, "Feck that." That is especially the case for a group of people in society who do not want any engagement with the Garda. I suggested to various Ministers that anybody be allowed to be included in the supplementary register but that those on the supplementary register and claiming a vote be asked in a polling station for photographic identification. It should not be a case of “may be” but that one “will be" asked to provide adequate identification. That would deal with the problem identified in the first instance with the supplementary register when the change was introduced to prevent multiple or illegal voting. The change has had the effect of discouraging 18 year olds and other potential voters, including those who have moved house. I will not get into a discussion on the use of PPS numbers, but they could work if the current system was tweaked a little. In other countries, they delete them. In the North even, voters have to register every year. There is a campaign by the political parties in that regard, but it is also promoted by the civil servants that people register once a year. I consider this to be an onerous approach, but given the level of disquiet about people having their names taken off the register, the issue must be addressed.