Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The ballot paper is for the general election but it will be reviewed and a review of other ballot papers will take place after that.

I know that issues with the register of electors cause significant difficulties. There is a local hiatus in respect of this. Promotional posters were circulated to registration authorities, Members of the Oireachtas, student unions and 48 organisations affiliated to the National Youth Council of Ireland. Up-to-date information is published on checktheregister.ie. The Department has daily communication with the registration authorities. An advertisement is published in the national newspapers encouraging people to register. The advertisement is similar to the poster. The Department's website and Twitter account highlight the issue. Online advertisements are published throughout the month of November on herald.ie, myhome.ie, Facebook and rte.ie. The objective of the campaign is to encourage people to check the draft register of electors to ensure they are correctly registered and to inform the appropriate registration authority, namely, the local authority, of any errors or omissions. This can be done on checktheregister.ieor directly with the local authorities.

In respect of the Garda, I know that it does cause difficulties. Where the applicant establishes in writing that he or she is unable to progress the application in this way, the form can be signed by the applicant in the presence of an official of the registration authority who is satisfied as to his or her identity. If they can bring identification, they can sign it in front of the registration authority.