Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Despite the best efforts of many, including local authorities, who are the registration authorities, and ourselves as public representatives, many people do not think of checking or updating their registration details at the time of the annual renewal of the electoral register. I know the issue of the electoral register arises at council meetings and gives rise to significant debate.

Sometimes people only think of registering when an election or referendum is called. The law provides for this by way of the supplement to the register of electors. In the majority of cases, people make application for entry in the supplement in the few weeks after the polling day order is made. For the referendums in May 2015, there were over 60,000 applications for entry to the supplement to the register. We need therefore to have adequate checks in place to prevent potential abuses.

I acknowledge that the situation can arise that for one reason or another a person may not be in a position to have his or her application for entry in the supplement to the register of electors signed by a member of An Garda Síochána. However, as I said last week, there is already provision in the Electoral Act 1992 to address this situation. Where an applicant establishes in writing that he or she is unable to have his or her application signed by a garda, the form can be signed by the applicant in the presence of an official of the registration authority. The official must be satisfied as to the applicant's identity and photographic or other identification may be required for this. It can also be the case that due to physical illness or disability, a person cannot have his or her form signed by a garda or is not in a position to sign the application in the presence of an official of the registration authority. In such a case, the law provides that the supplement application must be accompanied by a medical certificate. I consider that these arrangements strike a reasonable balance between facilitating voter registration and ensuring there are adequate measures in place to counteract any possible abuse.

Supplementary applications are usually made in a short time period, after an election or referendum is called. Registration authorities and people more generally are not in a position to check these applications in the same way as they can at the annual renewal of the register. The verification arrangements for supplement applicants serve to assist registration authorities in processing applications for entry in the supplement to the register of electors. The Government does not accept that these checks should or could be weakened and therefore opposes the amendment.

See this speech in context