Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Local authorities are responsible for the planning, organisation and holding of local elections in their areas. They are best placed to produce such maps, given their range of local responsibilities. It should be left to local authorities to decide on the arrangements for making them available and whether to charge for them. The production of maps is not appropriate for inclusion in legislation, particularly if the maps under discussion do not have any legal standing. This is an administrative matter for the local authorities.

With regard to Deputy Flanagan's point, the Minister is in contact with local authorities, and with managers in particular, to discuss these issues. In respect of Dáil constituencies, previous Ministers have circulated to Deputies and Senators maps following constituency revision. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, is continuing this practice and has arranged with the Ordnance Survey Ireland to produce maps of each constituency provided for in the Bill. These maps will be circulated to Deputies and Senators and will assist them to familiarise themselves, if they need to, with changes to individual constituencies. There is no legal basis for maps on their own.

I referred to other matters earlier. I hope this amendment will be withdrawn and that we can agree on what the Minister proposes.

See this speech in context