Results 261-280 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: I do not know. I am on the transport committee as well. In transport and communications, we talked about eircodes. I do not know how quickly an eircode gets issued when you move into a home. You obviously have a postal address. I do not know how long it takes to get the eircode. If you are doing an online registration at a new address, you require an eircode.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: You might not necessarily have been issued an eircode yet, and in that case you have to do a paper application at the Garda station and sign it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: We spoke about the length of the ballot paper for the European elections - the scroll that everybody was given. Has the Commission considered going to a two-page format so that half the ballot paper is not hanging off the edge of the table? Is that being considered? Is there any research? You are looking for your position on that bit of paper. I am thinking of the Florida election years ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: Regarding the listing candidates in alphabetical order, is that just convention or is it set out in respect of how ballot papers should be set out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: It must be done in alphabetical order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: Okay. On the registration process, I remember that years ago there were two different forms, one if people were registering for the first time or one if people were moving constituency. If people are registering for the first time, moving constituencies, so re-registering, or moving within a constituency, is the process as simple for all three possibilities now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: I am glad to hear it. Turning to another point, it is known roughly and approximately when the local elections are going to take place. We know roughly, for example, when the local elections for 2029 are going to take place. It is the same with European elections and presidential elections. There is a bit of a run-in with by-elections because we know that timing too. When general...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: This is for the commission's information campaigns.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: My last question is on posters. Posters are the part of the campaign nobody likes at all. They play a role because when the posters go up everybody knows there is an election on, so they are beneficial in some way. However, it is about the proliferation of them. There are candidates putting up 1,000 or 1,200 posters across a constituency. It is absolutely ridiculous. It should really be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: They name and shame, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: They do. I am not saying we should ban posters. I am thinking of a cap and a limit so we are all out there with maybe 100 posters. If we all have 100 posters then each poster has the same impact.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: That is true, but how many of us have-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: That is grand. I thank Mr. O'Leary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: That does not always happen either.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: I have seen political parties not having the name of the printer on posters, who erected them or whose name it is. There is nothing at all on them. I thank the witnesses for their attendance and for the work they do in promoting and protecting our democracy, because it is critically important and comes under threat from time to time. Before we finish, I want to make a point about security...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Arrangements to Protect Democracy and Ballot Integrity: Discussion (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank the witnesses for attending. We will reconvene for a private meeting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 1 October 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Active Travel (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: 104. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider extending the rollout of secure bike lockers at commuter train stations including Greystones and Wicklow town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37751/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: 167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the capitation grant for both primary and secondary schools; the last time they were reviewed by her Department; if her attention has been drawn to concerns of school principals that it has not kept pace with inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37438/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (24 Sep 2024)

Steven Matthews: 168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of school principals regarding the cost of electricity as schools head into the winter months; if a targeted grant can be considered to support schools with this rising cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37439/24]