Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

A lot of pressure. I am discovering that many young people who turned 18 after November 2006 are not registered. One of the difficulties is that when one gives them the supplementary register form and tells them they must go to the local Garda station, they are somewhat reluctant to do so. They want to be sure they will be welcome at a Garda station. In that context there should be certain hours during which a designated officer can deal with these matters. In that way, young people would not feel intimidated by the process. Alternatively, a garda could attend local authority offices on certain days in order to make the system less formal. At the same time, however, young people wishing to access the supplementary register must produce proof of identity. That is a key issue.

The Minister mentioned the possibility of a new publicity campaign but he should aim it at those who have recently turned 18 or will do so by polling day. In a survey of approximately 120 houses in my constituency, we found over 40 young people who had recently reached 18 years of age but were not registered to vote. They should be encouraged to get on the electoral register.

See this speech in context