Mr. Vincent Norton:

On the registration process, Dublin City Council is probably one of the few local authorities that still use inspectors to go around and check the register. We find now increasingly that there is difficulty accessing premises. There are many gated communities and very often we do not get that access. An online facility is required at this stage in order that people can communicate with the local authority or the registration authority to register their intention to vote. We firmly believe that minimal legislative change would facilitate that and this would make it much easier for people to vote. That is one element of what the committee is considering but the registration process has been an issue of concern to many of its members. Minimal change will allow that to take place. Combined with a rolling register, that would make it much easier for people to get on the register.

Deputy Murphy made an important point about postal votes because, increasingly, people are away on holiday, working or in hospital and cannot vote and they increasingly ask for a postal vote, which is not available to them. That is something else the committee could consider in its deliberations on the process.