Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this debate. I congratulate Deputy Ó Cuív on introducing this worthwhile Bill. Interestingly, previous Governments refused any amendment that would have changed voting times on the islands. It should not be an issue in this day and age, given the availability of modern transport. For example, a helicopter travels to Tory Island every day during the winter months. There is no reason, and has been none for many years, that voting cannot take place on the islands on the national polling day whenever the next election is called. Indeed, that islanders must vote in advance of the rest of the population has been a bone of contention for many years. A couple of elections ago, islanders voted on a Wednesday when the election was taking place on a Friday. It made no sense.

We should have made this decision before now, but it is good to see this Bill. The five islands in Donegal where voting occurs - Tory, Gola, Inishfree, Inishbofin and Arranmore - look forward to being able to vote on election day. That is vital. Nothing in the Electoral Acts mean that the islands cannot vote on the assigned polling day.

The Bill will pass on to Committee Stage, when I will take the opportunity to raise a matter that I have referenced a number of times, namely, the ability of fishermen to vote. They are in a unique situation. They can register for postal voting, but they may be fishing when their votes must be posted and, as such, would not be able to do so. They could be ashore on polling day only to find that they could not vote because they had registered as postal voters. We should be able to find a mechanism that allows them in the week or ten days before polling day to cast their votes in local Garda stations where ballot papers and ballot boxes would be available so that they might participate fully in the electoral process.

I will offer a selfish anecdote in this regard. I remember how 14 or 15 fishermen from Killybegs went to sea the day before one polling day. Their votes were lost, not only for me, but for everyone. Due to their occupation, fishermen cannot rely on being ashore when voting must take place. I will consider proposing amendments on Committee Stage to try to rectify this situation.

I welcome this important Bill. That it is being accepted is a positive step. I look forward to its enactment, hopefully in time for the next general election, so that we will see the islands across Donegal and the rest of the nation voting on polling day along with everyone else.

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