Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I would like to ask, with the co-operation of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, if the Minister of State or, preferably, someone who knows why, such as the Taoiseach, would explain to us in detail why what was good enough five years ago is not good enough today. That is the critical point and the statistical information exists to support the arguments made by the Opposition. The CSO survey on voting attitudes in 2002 proved that a weekend election is preferable, an undoubted fact. The European elections in 1999 were held on a Thursday with a turnout of 50.21%. When the 2004 European and local elections were switched to a Friday, turnout rose dramatically to 58.8%. Logic would indicate that if elections were switched to a Saturday, turnout would increase even more.

This Government has a moral responsibility to make voting as democratic and accessible as possible instead of putting ridiculous barriers in the way by holding the vote on a weekday. No amount of peddling the notion that access to a postal vote will necessarily cater for all and sundry will suffice. Many young people and others who do not know where they may be still prefer to return to their home constituencies to vote with their families and friends. Whatever the reasons the Government has for insisting on a Thursday vote on this or any other occasion, students in Dublin and elsewhere, young people working away from home and those who will find themselves unable to get to their constituency must be accommodated while we look for a real and permanent change in the conduct of all elections and referenda into the future.

I therefore record my support for the Bill as presented by the Fine Gael Members, last evening and again tonight.

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