Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator O'Rourke for sharing her time. I am glad to have the opportunity to make some points on the issue, and I will try not to be repetitive, although much has already been said. I am grateful to Fine Gael for airing the matter in their time, as there is much agreement that there is a problem and much needs to be done to rectify it. We would all like this to happen as soon as possible, but that is not realistic.

I am grateful to the Minister of State for the points that he made, indicating that steps are being taken to have the electoral register as up-to-date as possible, given the timeframe between now and the next general election. Much more needs to be done in order to have the comprehensive system that is required and should be in place for the electoral register. Senator O'Rourke has pointed out that since the abolition of domestic rates, we do not have the rate collecter calling and we did not for many years have the hearings that took place which allowed the register to be up to date. The North of Ireland still has hearings, and I was speaking to Senator Maurice Hayes about it today. It is very helpful there.

With regard to the bigger picture, a much more comprehensive system must be and can be put in place. This could be done by using students or other means. We need an overall cross-departmental database which interlinks the register of births, marriages and deaths, the electoral register, taxation, passports, licences and others. While I appreciate it would be a very big task which may take a number of years to do properly, if chip and pin technology is used — which we all have with credit and ATM cards — it is possible to aspire to a solution within a period of time. We could have a card which can be used for all State-related business, be it for voting, passport, national identification card or social welfare entitlement purposes, etc. There would be clear benefits for issues such as fighting underage drinking, general identification and the implementation of free travel.

We should aspire to this. It should be done through a commission or a national cross-departmental group set up to tackle the matter. Whoever is in Government, be it Fianna Fáil or others, should do this over a period of years. It would solve many problems relating to many different issues. Much needs to be done.

Senator Ryan mentioned a matter earlier and I resent its implication. He finished with the point that Fianna Fáil had by design kept the register in a way that only older people were voting, and suggested that this would suit Fianna Fáil.