Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Abuse has been mentioned, but there are many examples around Europe and elsewhere of systems that do not have the restrictions our system has but that have tight safeguards to ensure abuse does not happen. Some systems are based on national ID cards or PPS numbers or the equivalent, yet they allow a greater use of postal votes. We have one of the most restrictive systems in the world in regard to postal votes.

The Minister of State also suggested that applicants to the register could access an official from the electoral office or local authority. The same problem pertains in that regard as pertains to attendance at a Garda station in rural areas, because not every council has offices dotted around the constituency.

Town councils have been closed in this city and some of the local authority offices are closing because Dublin City Council has rolled back on centralising services once again. The reasonable balance in this amendment, which is not something new - we have argued this on a number of occasions - is that anybody who presents for a supplementary vote will register in the normal way but when they present for a vote they will be asked for a photographic ID. The ID is already determined for road traffic purposes. There is certain ID that is acceptable for the driver licence test or the driver theory test which does not include the Garda national ID system. The bar concerning ID must be set and that is what has to be presented at the desk when one looks to vote if it is from the supplementary register.

See this speech in context