Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McLoughlin for raising this very important issue, which is of interest to us all. In law, the preparation of the register of electors, including the supplement to the register, is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the co-operation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. It is also important that all eligible voters are enabled to vote whenever there are elections or referendums. Eligible voters who are not on the register may apply for inclusion in the supplement to the register. In order to be able to vote at any impending elections or referendums, a person must apply for inclusion in the supplement no later than 15 days before the next polling day, excluding Sundays and public holidays. As Deputy McLoughlin noted, each application for inclusion in the supplement must be signed in the presence of a member of An Garda Síochána from the applicant's local Garda station. The garda must be satisfied as to the person's identity before signing the application and may request identification.

Some 3.2 million voters were on the register of electors at the recent elections. This included 59,758 names added by way of the supplement to the register in advance of the elections. I am conscious of the frustration of many electors who find they are not on the register of electors when they go to a polling station and, of course, there are others who are on the register of electors who are unexpectedly there.

In regard to the supplement to the postal and special voters' lists, I was satisfied to have the opportunity last year to include a provision in the Electoral, Local Government and Planning Development Act 2013 to allow more time for making an application for inclusion in these lists in advance of impending elections and referenda. Previously, it was a requirement that all such applications had to be made in the two-day period after the making of the relevant polling day order. This was unnecessarily tight in the case of referenda and presidential, European and local elections. Under new arrangements applications for inclusion in the supplement to the postal and special voters' lists can now be made up to 22 days before the next polling day.

Returns received from registration authorities by my Department indicate that 9,278 names were included on the supplement to the postal and special voters lists in advance of the recent local and European elections. These, of course, would already have been on the register of electors.

I agree with Deputy McLoughlin it is a matter which is a constant source of frustration to participants in the electoral process as well as voters themselves. I am, of course, anxious to make the necessary changes in the short term to ensure that in future elections we will be able to tighten up the process and eliminate some of the anomalies that are identified by Deputy McLoughlin.

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