Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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The witnesses are welcome, as are those in the Public Gallery. When I hit 18 years of age, the first thing I wanted to do was get on the ballot paper. Actually, I did not mean to use the term "ballot paper", but that too. I wanted to start voting and to use my vote. It was such a major thing for me. Voting is a family occasion and a community occasion. We go to Bush Post-Primary School and we cast our votes together. However, there is a member of my family who cannot do so as easily because she has a disability. That is not right. This barrier meant that the normality of our tradition stopped.

That frustration carried into the Seanad when I tabled a Commencement matter asking about ensuring that local authorities and returning officers could conduct audits of polling stations. I was told that no Department had responsibility for this matter. It just shows the attitude towards accessible polling stations. A lack of respect and dignity is being shown to many people who try to access polling stations.

Ms Costello stated that returning officers should "publish their compliance with the NDA checklist" on accessibility. Has the Department of Justice or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which runs general and local elections, told the DSG that it is examining this matter? Where is the blockage? Everyone wants this to happen, but there is a bureaucratic blockage somewhere. The simple measures that in many cases could make something easy and accessible are not being taken.

The DSG is doing incredible work, but is it being listened to?

When they feed back to the Department, particularly on the issue we are discussing today, where does that go? How can this committee help push them, given that is what we seek to do?

My final question is for Mr. Clarke, and it is great to have another Louth person with us. Policy can be pushed down on a national level. Where is that impetus at an EU level?