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

We discussed this amendment at length on Committee Stage. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív said he would table it again on Report Stage. I understand the issue is of keen interest to the Deputy for many years. I said on Committee Stage that I appreciate his interest in facilitating voting by our island communities. The key objective is to ensure that ballot boxes from island polling stations are at the count centre at 9 a.m. on the day of the count. It is not desirable that the count for any constituency should be delayed because all the ballot boxes are not at the count centre. The provisions of the Electoral Acts are in place to cater for this. I agree with the Deputy, as I did on Committee Stage, that cancellations of island ferry services are few and far between but the fact is and does remain that they do happen and we need to provide for such situations.

The returning officer in the constituency is best placed to decide on whether the poll should be taken on an island on an earlier date. It would not, therefore, make sense to repeal section 85 of the Electoral Act 1992. Again, the Government is opposing this amendment.

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