Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 11a:

In page 6, line 21, before "the" to insert "the Local Authority Franchise Offices,".

This is a short amendment to change the use of PPS numbers. The section allows for access by the vocational education committees, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Pensions Board. My amendment would allow the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, to use PPS numbers for the purposes of the electoral register. I had previously tabled a similar amendment. The Minister indicated when dealing with the previous Social Welfare Bill which dealt with PPS numbers that she would consider the proposal and that it would be dealt with in the next Bill. I will not press this amendment. She has accepted the principle of the proposal and given the debacle associated with the electoral register in this State, that this might be a mechanism to ensure that all names are included on the register of electors. How it is used for constituency purposes could be decided by the Department. This provision is merely to allow the Department to use the PPS number.

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