Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

When I was 17 or 18, I went on holidays to Scotland. In saying this I am not trying to kill time as I have a genuine point. Ireland was a Monday to Friday country at the time. We travelled out on Saturday evening and arrived in Liverpool at 7 a.m. on Sunday. The number of people going about their business on a Sunday morning took us by surprise. They were working in great numbers. Ireland is no longer a Monday to Friday country and over the past three decades has become a 24/7 country. We market ourselves in terms of flexibility. It is a key word and a quality that people seek. The Government argues that flexibility is needed in the health services to make full use of technical equipment and quality facilities where they exist. However, Ireland is still a Monday to Friday country in terms of elections. There is a total lack of flexibility.

Some decades ago, only wealthy people went to college. We have made progress in the meantime but we pay lip service to our young people if we do not accommodate them in the manner in which they want to be accommodated in respect of elections. We expect flexibility from them and they expect the same from us. Thursday is not a good day for students and Friday is not a good day for workers. To avoid traffic jams those in my constituency must leave too early in the morning to vote. Friday is not a good day for young workers who may wish to remain in the city centre after work.

There was a particularly low turnout in the by-election in Kildare in which I was elected two years ago. People who wanted to vote were critical because they could not vote. They did not return from the city centre in time to vote and it is a big deal to ask them to disrupt their social life. This had an impact, although it may not have been significant. The people to whom I refer are flexible and are contributing to our society and economy. They pay taxes, of which we have no problem relieving them. These people should be accommodated on a Saturday or Sunday, the days I favour. If we truly embrace democracy we must make it possible for people to vote and the weekend is a better time. On Sunday 85% of people voted in the French election.

We must stop the nonsense about when an election will be called. I cannot believe how much of a rumour factory the Dáil is in respect of the date of the election. Anyone who asks about the election is concerned about when it will happen. We must go beyond one party suiting itself and create some certainty about it. There should be a predetermined formula for setting an election date. We should not take a healthy democracy for granted. We must work at it and permitting people to vote at weekends is important. That is why I support this Bill.

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