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

I want to say once again that I believe the integrity of the voting process is absolutely central to our democracy. When people go out to vote and cast their ballots on election day or on referendum day, they expect the procedures to be followed properly. It would be a crime if an ordinary citizen cast a vote on their own behalf and that of someone else. To vote on behalf of somebody else is impersonation and to vote twice is a crime. It would be no defence to say that it did not matter because the person who won the election did so by a wide margin anyway. We must apply the same standards to the Members in this House as apply to ordinary citizens going out to vote on an election day or referendum day.

Deputy McDonald rightly quoted the Constitution. Bunreacht na hÉireann states that any votes that occur in this House must be decided by majority vote cast by Members who are present and voting. There is a world of difference between someone being present in the Chamber, although not in one's seat, and not being present in the Chamber or the building at all. To allay any future concerns or confusion, all Members should be in their seats for all votes from now on.

I welcome the Ceann Comhairle's comment earlier that there will be an investigation and report this week and I very much welcome that. I understand that, separate to that, a complaint is going to be assessed under the ethics Acts. I believe that is done by the Committee on Procedure and that will allow for a hearing. I also welcome the fact that there will be statements on this issue on Thursday and those Deputies who admitted to voting on behalf of others, or allowing votes to be cast on their behalf when they are not in the Chamber, will have an opportunity to make a personal statement at that time and will perhaps also agree to take questions.

See this speech in context