Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The idea of holding an election over two days would probably require a referendum.

In general, it can be said that weekend voting would facilitate those electors who are normally away from home on weekdays and would reduce or eliminate school closures, a necessary feature of weekday elections. There are, equally, arguments against weekend voting. It can be said that weekend voting could reduce turnout because of people going away at weekends or because of clashes with sporting events, festivals or because of objections on religious grounds. Such factors may depress voting patterns at weekends. There is no concrete evidence to support the thesis Fine Gael is putting forward, that a particular date is favourable.

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