Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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This is a really interesting discussion. I would have loved if we had a session on the issue during our committee deliberations given the many varying views and differing scientific perspectives. I draw members' attention to a book published by Brendan Heneghan in 2018, Secrets of the Ballot Box: How the Irish Voting System Really Works. It is based on research of electoral patterns in Ireland from 1981 to 2016, inclusive. It is a very good read, for a start, but as a middle-ballot candidate I was always jealous of people whose surnames began with A or B. I was surprised to learn that the author's statistical analysis of electoral results over that period showed there was no electoral advantage to being higher on the ballot paper. In my constituency, as Deputy Ó Broin said, we will put that to the test if we have, as looks likely, two candidates called Eoin Ó Broin on the ballot paper given there is no clarity as yet as to whose name will come first.