Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, and good morning, everyone. I apologise for the technical hitches, but it is great to be here with the committee, and I thank the committee for inviting me to appear before it to discuss the general scheme of the electoral reform Bill, which was approved by the Government on 15 December 2020. Today is my first time to appear before this committee, and I am really delighted and honoured to be here with such a positive set of policy proposals.

Regarding electoral reform, the general scheme is ambitious and forward-thinking. It provides for the establishment of a statutory, independent electoral commission for Ireland; the modernisation of our electoral registration processes; the regulation of online political advertising around electoral events; and, finally, measures which would assist with the holding of an electoral event safely should Covid-19 restrictions be in place. Some of these reforms have been a long time coming. For example, an electoral commission has been a fixture in programmes for Government for many years, as alluded to by the Chairman.

We live in an evolving society. With the advent of new technology, changes in living patterns and changes in how we receive information, there has been a need for some time to regulate new media formats and to ensure that our people have transparency surrounding online political advertising, which may influence how we vote. We can also harness new technology to bring about a more secure, accurate and user-friendly electoral register. In addition, it is responsible and prudent to consider how we would run an electoral event with Covid-19 restrictions in place. We have been working with officials to make the necessary provisions for this, and it is to be hoped this will not be the case for too long.

I wish to bring the committee briefly through each element of the general scheme. First, the electoral commission we propose to establish will bring about a more cohesive and efficient administration of electoral functions in Ireland. It will address the challenges we currently face and will be a bulwark which will protect and enhance our electoral system into the future. It will be independent of the Government and will report directly to the Oireachtas. The commission will have seven members, a mix of public officials experienced in electoral functions and experts who will be recruited through a Public Appointments Service, PAS, process on the basis of their skills and experience. The commission will be an organisation of substance, taking on board a broad range of new and existing statutory functions. These include a new policy research and advisory function to inform and advise both the Government and the Oireachtas on electoral issues. The commission will have a voter education and awareness function, working to increase participation in our political processes. It will have a monitoring role in respect of the modernised electoral register. The commission will have responsibility for the regulation of online political advertising, which I will come back to shortly. Lastly, the commission will take on several existing statutory electoral functions from other bodies, including the work of the Referendum Commission, the Registrar of Political Parties, the Constituency Commission and the local electoral area boundary committees. The commission will be established by the end of this year, in line with the programme for Government commitment.

The general scheme lays the foundations for a modernised electoral register.

This ambitious project will deliver a single, continually updated or rolling electoral register; the simplification of forms and processes, including the gradual roll-out of optional online registration; a central national electoral register database; the use of personal public service numbers, PPSNs, as part of a data verification process; provision for anonymous registration for persons whose safety may be at risk if their name and address were to be published; and the preregistration for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. Overall, it will make the process of registering to vote more accessible and streamlined. The register will continue to be administered by local registration authorities. The commission will oversee its management and operation.

Regarding the regulation of online political advertising, in recent years we have been hearing more about the spread of disinformation in the run-up to electoral events. We have heard concerns raised and debated, both nationally and internationally, on its prevalence online as well as its potential to damage trust in our electoral processes and undermine our democratic institutions. To ensure our elections remain free from hidden influence, I am legislating for the compulsory labelling of online political advertisements during electoral periods. This will ensure transparency during the run-up to electoral events. This labelling will provide a link to certain information for the electorate in a transparent and conspicuous manner on who is behind the advertisement and why they are being targeted. The general scheme sets out that such information must be displayed in a transparency notice clearly linked to the advertisement. This will mean the rules which currently apply to the more traditional forms of advertising will be extended into the online advertising space.

The general scheme will include measures to assist with the holding of electoral events where Covid-19 restrictions are in place. These include conducting a poll over two days to facilitate social distancing as well as providing a postal vote for those on the special voters list should nursing homes and similar institutions be inaccessible.

The principal reform measures set out in this general scheme are founded on political consensus and public support which have been built up over several years through reports and public consultations. The 2016 report of the Oireachtas joint committee on the establishment of an independent electoral commission has been of particular benefit in framing the provisions. The establishment of the electoral commission and the modernisation of the electoral register will see many of the recommendations set out in the 2016 report come into effect.

Many of these reforms are long-promised. We have an opportunity to address long-standing electoral issues and put our system on a stronger and more robust footing. The progression of this legislation is timely. The next scheduled electoral events to take place throughout the country will be in 2024. We have a great opportunity to have each of these electoral reforms in place and firmly bedded down over the intervening period.

I look forward to working with the committee on this process. I thank the officials for the amazing work they have done to date. I also thank previous committees for the work they have done on this transformative piece of electoral reform legislation. I look forward to a constructive discussion today.