Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. The establishment of a permanent electoral commission has been discussed in this Chamber for years. It comes up every time there is an election so I am glad we are finally getting around to putting something in place.

In this Bill, a number of new powers are set out for the commission as well as better oversight of our electoral process, which will bring us in line with best international practice. It is important that funding for the commission remains independent and there is flexibility within its budget. During pre-legislative scrutiny, it was recommended that subcommittees be established to represent the voices of marginalised communities in respect of engagement in elections. This is a very positive step. The role of the commission in promoting public awareness around the roles of different bodies and elected representatives is welcome. I hope it will lead to better engagement with our democratic process.

The modernisation of the electoral register is something for which everybody has been asking for years. I welcome this. It is about time. Before now, people had to go out of their way to get on the register so it is to be hoped a simpler process will result in more people turning out to vote on election day. We hope that the electoral commission will have an oversight role around the upkeep of registers. This is very important because it will ensure nobody will miss out on a vote due to a clerical error.

We might have missed an opportunity in not extending the postal or proxy voting arrangements in line with what is the norm across Europe. I hope this can be addressed on Committee Stage. The provision in the Bill that allows for pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds is a positive step, but the Government has been found wanting in this area and has walked away from extending voting rights to young people. My colleague, Senator Fintan Warfield, has been a strong advocate for granting the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, but the Government has still to act on this call. Many 16- and 17-year-olds today are much more engaged in current affairs and politics than would have previously been the case.

The regulation of political advertising online is an issue that politicians worldwide have been trying to tackle. We have seen an increase in political advertising that seeks to mislead and misinform. There are very real concerns around the transparency and motivations of those taking out these advertisements. The Bill seems to fall short in that regard, with concerns being raised about the lack of clear definitions around what is classified as political advertising. I hope this Bill results in greater transparency and clarity for voters when it comes to online campaigning at election time.

All in all, this Bill is a step in the right direction in reforming our electoral process, but I still believe it needs some more improvement.

See this speech in context