Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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That is a good point. Do the witnesses wish to make any closing statements? No. I thank them kindly for their assistance this afternoon. This will help us greatly in deliberating on the issue.

I have some comments on the Standards in Public Office Commission. I stood in several elections before I became a Deputy. I remember in 2002 the Kelly judgment delayed the time by which forms had to go back. I wish to put on record my appreciation for the people I dealt with in trying to meet deadlines. They offered all types of assistance. Mr. Walsh might have been one of those concerned. It was a major leap to go from virtually no declarations to filling out forms, meeting various limits and getting peace commissioners to sign documents. I appreciate the effort that people go to in offices like SIPO as well as their professionalism and that of the local authorities.

We have been lucky in my area in that the register of electors is fairly accurate. There are various traditional reasons for that. When people are in an area where public services are good, they tend not to appreciate where the system may not be as good. That is no reflection on the people concerned. Perhaps the system itself may not be as uniform as it should be. I thank the witnesses very much for their assistance. They are free to go.