Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

As I indicated last night, I do not anticipate that a general election will be held between 15 February and 1 March 2007. We would be in odd territory if we did not have a valid electoral register. I am not taking a hard-nosed position on this matter. It would create a bad precedent to extend the 15 February deadline. It is important to have a voting register. I do not disagree with the Deputy on the general issue that specifying a series of dates in primary legislation creates inflexibility.

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