Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I will speak to the three amendments that have been mentioned and then Deputy Ó Snodaigh’s final amendment. In some senses, the volume of the work that the commission can or cannot do will ultimately depend on its resources. Therefore, we should not be shy about identifying, as a committee, the kind of things we would like it to do. Obviously it will then have to decide what to prioritise, depending on how generous or not the Minister’s colleagues in the Cabinet are when it comes to giving it its budget beyond its first year.

All of the points that Deputies O’Callaghan and Nash raised are important. I am in a constituency where I could have the unique experience in the next general election of having a candidate with an identical name to my own, namely Eoin Ó Broin of the Social Democrats. It is an interesting dilemma because the first question that is asked is how you decide the order of the ballot. It was a matter of great interest to many people. We never got to the bottom of it. Some people thought it was the drawing of lots and others thought it depended on the middle name. The fact that it generated so much discussion demonstrates that people are preoccupied by the position on the ballot paper. Likewise, I have come across and am aware of cases where people used maiden names and not married names or vice versa,or they will use the Irish or English form of their name to see if it gives them some advantage.

Having said that, and the Chairman's point is a good one, I come close to the bottom of the ballot and my good party colleague Deputy Ward is at the very bottom, although that was not a difficulty for either of us in recent elections. Nevertheless, Deputy O'Callaghan makes a good case and, in regard to both the issue of a candidate's position on the ballot paper and, equally if not more importantly, the issue of opinion polls, the evidence should determine the policy, which is why the amendments recommending additional research areas for the commission are welcome and I am happy to support them.

On that subject, Deputy Ó Snodaigh's final amendment, amendment No. 69, makes another request for a report. In the spirit of all the amendments he has tabled as our party's Irish language spokesperson, it will provide that after an appropriate period, adequate research will be conducted to ensure the rights of Irish language speakers will be fully vindicated and fully supported within the electoral process. On that basis, we hope the Minister of State will give the amendment a positive hearing and, if not supporting it in being incorporated in the Bill, at least ensure in the spirit in which he has spoken to similar amendments that it will be on the radar of the commission as well as the Government following the passing and enactment of the Bill.