Ms Fiona Quinn:

The key point in this conversation is that we are talking about options. Policy decisions will be made. A policy decision could be taken to establish a commission on a full legal basis right from the outset. There would be different approaches, depending on which option is taken. If, for example, it was decided that we would establish a commission on a non-legislative basis and then move over time to underpin that with legislation it could carry out certain functions without having the legal basis to do so, for example, research, awareness raising and possibly voter engagement. If it was to have functions that are legally assigned to another body, local authorities, the Referendum Commission or SIPOC, they would have to be given to it legally so there would be a process in the primary legislation.

It would take time to move to that position. It will depend on the policy options that are taken around the exact functions and how it will be established. As we have set it out in the consultation document, if an electoral commission is established and if it is decided to give it a certain set of functions, it would take over the roles of the Referendum Commission, the boundary commissions on the constituencies and local electoral areas. At the moment they are serviced by the secretariat of the Office of the Ombudsman. When we are still considering the options, it is difficult to set out a precise approach but, in general terms, that is how we would see it happening.