Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I refer to measures that should be taken to correct the electoral register. The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kitt, outlined statistics in this regard last week. Has the Cabinet taken a decision to instruct the Central Statistics Office's 4,500 enumerators to carry two forms rather than one to each household so that, in addition to the census data that will be gathered, with which we are not trying to interfere, a voter registration form will also be delivered and collected by them? The enumerators will measure district electoral divisions, which are statistical units of the electoral register. However, the CSO does not want to deliver the registration forms. Its officials do not get elected; we do. The register is an absolute farce in terms of accuracy. A sum of €50 million will be spent to conduct the census, which is necessary. It would cost nothing extra to ask the enumerators to deliver and collect two forms rather than one. Will the Tánaiste give a direction to the CSO to make that happen?

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