Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the panel for their presentations, including their views on some of the matters that have been taxing us recently. I note that there is broad agreement among the three panellists on the need for a commission to be established. It is certainly a view that I would share.

As regards Dr. Weeks's statement on proportional representation, is he suggesting that constituencies should comprise five seats or seven seats or should we just have a national or provincial list system? Perhaps he could explain the rationale behind that. We see substantial shifts that everyone in all parties are casualties or benefactors of, depending on which way it works out.

Ad hocchanges are made by boundary commissions, whereby county boundaries are chewed up, maybe for good reasons. In addition, there may be a completely new geography from one election to the next, with five-seater constituencies being turned into three-seaters. It appears to me to be precarious. Dr. Weeks might explain how he would bed that down.

It would be easier to have a more fixed boundary if an area were bigger as that would be easier to tweak.

In his comments on the Department of Finance, Mr. McMeel seems to be suggesting that the electoral commission would handle the funding and co-ordinate it. Obviously, that would be of benefit. He also said the electoral commission would have a co-ordinating role in respect of returning officers, which makes some sense. What is the role of local authorities in terms of elections from the perspective of the Department of Finance? Do they have a role at all? I hope they have as they are local government.

On the vexed question of PPS numbers, it was stated that less intrusive alternatives to those should be explored such as consent or computer identifiers. Can that be explained? Can Mr. Lambert state whether methods used in other countries have been considered? Are there any obvious ones that could be used as an identifier or any simple examples? The address-based system we have here is not working as one can see on picking up any register. Some people are not on it who should be while others are on it several times. Some people are on it who should not be. Its accuracy is very poor. Mr. Lambert said that, obviously, one's PPS number should not appear on the register and I agree with that. I can see good reason for not using it for verification on voting day. As such, is Mr. Lambert suggesting that other simple forms of identity such as a driving licence or passport be used? Certainly, one problem I have come across is that some people have neither. There is a general acceptance that people have bank accounts, driving licences and passports, but we all know people who do not have any of those forms of identification.

What are the views of the witnesses on a rolling register that one can join at any time. As has been said, the system is very restrictive with people having to go Garda stations. Should peace commissioners be allowed to verify that Joe Bloggs is who he says and that he lives at such an address? Are there other ways of handling the verification process?