Ms Mairead Ahern:

I am Mairead Ahern and I am the county registrar and returning officer for counties Louth and Meath. I am accompanied by my colleague, Mr. Fintan Murphy, who is the returning officer in counties Mayo and Roscommon at present, because we are doubling up. We welcome the opportunity to address the joint committee in the deliberations concerning the implementation of the Government commitment on an electoral commission, an area in which returning officers play a key role on the operational side. I believe members have had the opportunity to hear the opinions of academics and others on the many matters they are considering. I believe I am correct in suggesting they all are in broad agreement that the actual running of the electoral events nationally is competently carried out by the returning officers. Our opening statement, which we forwarded to the joint committee previously, sets out our position. We believe firmly in the electoral process as it operates at present. In our opinion, no process could be more transparent. Each voter is presented with a ballot paper and from the time that this ballot paper enters the ballot box, it is completely secure. Each vote cast then is brought under escort to its count centre and from there, the ballot papers are in full view of the public until such time as a count is finalised. Occasionally, complaints are made as to the length of time taken until a final result is announced. Returning officers are meticulous in ensuring that a count is completely accurate and this can take some time. However, the benefit is that once concluded, there can be no doubt as to the accuracy of the result and we consider this to be a result worth waiting for. This system has stood the test of time and regardless of whether the overarching body is a Department or an electoral commission, we argue there is no case for changing what is working well on the ground.

While other aspects of the issues being addressed by the committee do not fall within our remit, we believe an electoral commission could result in substantial improvements on the issue of voter registration. There is an ongoing problem with voter registration and voters can, naturally, be upset when they attend at a polling station and discover that, through no fault of their own, they are not listed on the register. Despite the Trojan work carried out by local authorities and the Department in their efforts to have members of the public check the register, how many of us actually do so? Registers are complex documents and local authority staff are under immense pressure to ensure they are accurate. This is extremely difficulty and labour-intensive work and the area is completely under-resourced. Various models such as a rolling register, a nationally compiled register or changing the methodology for compiling the register to incorporate PPS numbers must be examined. It is an overwhelming task and dedicated, experienced staff are required to deal with it. It would be a step forward if, under the auspices of an electoral commission, permanent or full-time staff who could access appropriate databases for the purposes of constantly updating the register were allocated.

We are of the view that consideration should be given to appointing at least one returning officer to the board of any electoral commission. We are willing to assist any committee or sub-committee set up for any purpose by a commission. Our unique and extensive experience qualifies us in all areas of the electoral system and we have a great deal to give when considering these aspects of the system.

We will be happy to answer questions members may wish to pose or provide any further detail they require.