Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

One could not get on the supplementary register previously when the deadline passed but once 25 November has passed, it will still be possible to get on the register up to 15 days before the next election. It is not the case that if a person has failed to register by 25 November, he or she will be deprived of a vote and we should not send that message to the public. A supplementary register system is in place, which is designed to make sure we do not end up in the position that pertained in the old days where, once the white register was published in January or February, that was it. It is right that there are more flexible arrangements in place for the infirm and the disabled to send postal votes.

We must continue to promote the idea of people taking on their obligations and ensuring that they are on the register. We will do everything we can through available systems. In recent years, the registration of voters has been reformed and the supplementary register system has provided us with a continuous avenue to make the system more accurate than previously. We want to make it absolutely accurate.

Inaction in this area was not an option. People spoke about widespread prospects for fraud, impersonation and so on, an experience in parts of urban Ireland at the last election.

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