Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I concur with what other Members said about referendums, especially the Seanad referendum. I remember that when I walked out of the booth that day I was not sure whether I had put the tick in the right box. Something that should have been straightforward was very complicated.

When one fills out the forms to run as an Independent candidate in an election, one is categorised as non-party. Ballot papers have a blank square beside such candidates in place of a party logo, which confuses many people who must figure out where to put the "X". This problem has been brought to my attention by people from all over the country. We have to have a different system, because some people vote for Independent candidates, party candidates or a mixture of both, but they do not know for whom they are voting. The current system will cause problems. There will be a very tight election some day, votes will be queried and some will not be included because people ticked the wrong box.

National schools are often used for voting. When I was on a board of management I had to watch the pounds, shillings and pence. I understand a school receives €15 for the day, which would not even cover the heating cost. Changing the voting location needs to be considered. Most places around the country have community centres, many of which are vacant when elections are held.

The Register of Electors is another problem. People have been put on or taken off it and do not know how it works. An accurate register needs to be introduced, because in the last by-election people who should have been on the register were not, while others who had died six months or a year ago were still on it.

We need a root and branch analysis to make it more efficient. My first point is that we should consider moving polling stations out of national schools and using community centres instead and my second is that one can still write "Independent" or whatever else in order that the box is filled in order to save confusion.

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