Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom i dtosach báire buíochas a ghabháil le chuile dhuine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo, go mórmhór na páirtithe atá tar éis a rá go bhfuil siad chun tacú leis an mBille, agus an Rialtas, atá chun tacú leis an mBille chomh maith. Mar atá ráite ag an Aire Stáit, tá beagáinín oibre breise le déanamh ar an mBille, agus déanfaimid é sin sa gcoiste.

Maidir leis an lá gearr vótála, creidim gur cheart dúinn b'fhéidir leasú a chur isteach nach mbeadh sé inceadaithe ach ar oileán le níos lú ná leath-chéad duine ar an gclár vótála. Bhí iontas orm a chloisteáil nach mbíonn lá iomlán vótála ar Árainn Mhór i dTír Chonaill, nuair a thógtar san áireamh go bhfuil 500 duine ar an gclár vótála ansin, dhá bhoth vótála, agus nach bhfuil sé ach deich nóiméad ón gcósta. Is mó é ná cuid mhaith boscaí ar an mórthír. Níl cúis ar bith le sin sa lá atá inniu ann. Is cuimhin na seirbhísí farantóireachta a chur faoi chonradh leis an Roinn nuair a bhí mé mar Aire. Níl cúis ar bith nach dtabharfaí na boscaí isteach agus nach mbeidís ar an láthair comhairimh ag 9.00 r.n. ar maidin. Go deimhin féin, mar is eol don Aire Stáit, ní osclaítear cuid de na boscaí go dtí 10.00 r.n. nó 11.00 r.n. ar maidin ar aon chaoi.

I never hear as much talk about bad weather as I do when this case arises. I can remember times in my lifetime when Wicklow was snowed up. I cannot remember Oíche na Gaoithe Móire which happened in the middle of the 19th century. I know the first few lines of the famous poem about Oíche na Gaoithe Móire, "Ar oíche ceann an dá lá dhéag, Béidh cuimhne grinn go h-éag" so it happened on 5 January.

If that happens it will not be island votes Deputies will be worried about, they will be worried about getting the votes in from other places also. If it happens we can wait. It is very easy to write in to legislation a provision that in the case of extraordinary abnormal weather when helicopter, plane or boat cannot travel that the box does not have to be there at the required time. We might find that it is often easier to get to an island these days than to some places on the mainland. The point has been made many times by the people living in west Connemara that a person is much quicker at getting to hospital from the Aran Islands than getting to hospital from some parts of the mainland since they brought in the helicopter emergency medical service, HEMS. We will not find the practical problems and we know we will not. As I have said, the Cork islands have been doing this for a long time. It was hard to get change on this issue.

I have an email that was sent to me on 11 February 2011. Up to that time I was the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Dáil term was over and there was an election on. As Minister, I requested the voting on the islands would be held on the same day as on the mainland but it was the absolute and utter prerogative of the returning officer in each constituency. I have the record here in the email, kindly sent to me by my adviser at the time, with the numbers of the electorates on the islands. There were 760 electors in Donegal and they voted two days prior. There were 194 electors in Mayo and they voted two days prior. Galway West had 1,155 electors and they all voted a day prior. In Cork there were 466 and they voted on the same day. There is no reason to say that Cape Clear is any easier to get to than some of the other islands. As I said, in the case of the Aran Islands, Cape Clear does not have the air alternatives. I am absolutely delighted that the Government will be accepting this Bill. I look forward to it going on to Committee Stage, or pre-legislative scrutiny. One day pre-legislative scrutiny would probably do us. I do not think anybody from the islands or anywhere else - certainly from the debate tonight it is unlikely that anybody is going to appear out from the woodwork - will vehemently oppose this legislation. It would be nice to ask Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann in to a pre-legislative stage to make their points and see if they have any other amendments regarding electoral law pertaining to islands that they believe should be put in. Obviously, the Minister for Communications, Climate Change and Environment, Deputy Naughten, and maybe the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, should come in also. I was delighted to hear the Minister wants to improve the Bill and he would certainly have my co-operation in doing that. A short period for pre-legislative scrutiny would do no harm. We can then agree amendments, whether they are to be introduced by the Government or by myself as the proposer of the Bill. We can then get this Bill expeditiously through the House: through Committee Stage, Report Stage and passed. I hope it would then go through the Seanad equally expeditiously and if we have done our job properly here then, please God, they will not have to make any amendments whatsoever.

I recognise that following the Minister of State's negotiations last weekend the ferry service is back to Inis Mór. I have no knowledge of what arrangements have been put in place. I am concerned that the extension of the service is only until 4 January. I hope that a more permanent resolution for the year can be put in place. I believe that every island should have a contracted service. The Minister of State has indicated that he agrees with this same principle and that he is going to make sure that this would happen. Unfortunately, his two predecessors, in my view, did not cover themselves in glory with regard to the islands. There was regression around pupil-teacher ratios, there was a total absence of any capital expenditure on the islands and there was a dumbing down of contracted services to the island. I accept the Minister of State has made genuine efforts since he came in to office. I would like to see a continuous capital programme on the island. I think we need it. I know the Minister of State is committed to an céibh ar Inis Oírr. Mar is eol dó, tá muintir Inis Meáin ag iarraidh go ndéanfaí obair ar an gcéibh ar an oileán sin. Níl obair an-mhór i gceist. Dá mbeadh €3 mhilliún nó €4 milliún in aghaidh na bliana curtha ar fáil ar feadh roinnt blianta, d'fhéadfaí na jabanna móra atá fós le déanamh ar na hoileáin a dhéanamh. Bhí an pleanáil do chéibh an Rannaigh i dTír Chonaill déanta nuair a bhí mise mar Aire. Tá gá leis na rudaí beaga a bhí fágtha le déanamh ag an Rialtas deireanach a dhéanamh anois agus an obair sin a chríochnú.

Is lá deas é seo. Is dócha gur bronntanas Nollaig deas é do na hoileánaigh go bhfuil sé aontaithe ag Dáil Éireann go rachfaidh an Bhille seo chun cinn ionas go mbeidh sé de cheart acu deis vótála a bheith acu ar an lá céanna. Is dóigh liom go mbeidh siad buíoch go mbeidh an cheart seo acu faoi dheireadh. Ba mhaith liom fear amháin a lua i dtaobh na ceiste seo. Choinnigh Séamus Jamesie Ó Flatharta ó hInis Mór i mo dhiaidh thar na blianta. Tá mé ag ceapadh gur cheap sé ag amanna go raibh mé ag déanamh dearmaid. Bhí daoine áirithe ar Inis Bó Finne agus ar fud an chósta ar an bport céanna. Mar is eol don Aire Stáit, déanann duine anseo is ansiúd níos mó ná a chion féin le ceisteanna áirithe a bhrú chun cinn agus a choinneáil beo. Coinníodh beo an cheist seo agus bainfidh go leor daoine tairbhe as.

Voting is important to people. Postal votes are important and so on, but it is fair to say that many people like, if they have the opportunity at all, to go back physically to their own place to cast their vote. You will find it very, very busy with boats and planes in to islands on the Friday evening of an election day and the turnout on the islands will be increased dramatically once we pass this legislation. I am hopeful we will not have an election in January because in February or March, if we can get this legislation through, I would like to see it in place. I am anxious for a quick election, as the Minister of State knows, but not that anxious that I cannot wait for this legislation to be in place first. I ask that he hurries up and gets it through, then we can go on with the election.

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