Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Following a public consultation process, the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht published a report in January 2016 containing a series of recommendations for the establishment of an electoral commission. These were based largely on the joint committee's own recommendations. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is currently preparing a regulatory impact analysis on the establishment of a statutory electoral commission. The analysis is examining the costs, benefits and impacts of a number of options. Once the analysis is complete, the intention is for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to obtain Government approval regarding the functions, membership, accountability mechanisms and timelines for the commission's establishment. This will be followed by a public consultation in the final quarter of this year on the Government's proposals. The outcome of the consultation will inform the drafting of heads of a Bill.

As Deputies know, a reform of the electoral register is under way to allow people to join it online and so on. It is our intention to hold a referendum next May to extend the franchise in presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State.

That would require a new register of Irish citizens not living in the State to be established, but I am sure it could be done.

Any fundraising carried out by my party is carried out in accordance with the law. We accept no corporate donation of more than €200. In fact, we brought forward that law to break the link between business and politics-----

See this speech in context