James Bannon (Fine Gael)

As already stated, the authorities in Northern Ireland use the equivalent of PPS numbers to compile their electoral register. Fine Gael has been calling for the introduction of such a system here but the Government has failed to listen. This raises serious questions about the Government's actual commitment to rectifying the debacle relating to the electoral system.

The Minister stated that it is easy to have one's name added to the supplementary electoral register at election time. Once the new register is issued on 12 February, those seeking to have their names added to it will be required to complete forms and attend at Garda stations where officers will be obliged to attest that they are living at the address indicated on the form. The latter must then be forwarded to the county council, which must then send an official to check the address. These requirements were introduced for good reason, namely, to avoid fraud. They would be fine if the register were correct. However, the register to be issued in February will not be correct. The Sunday Tribune and Sunday Independent analysed the registration process and noted significant problems with it. We will not be in a position to determine the existence or extentof such errors until the register becomes available.

The Commission on Electronic Voting has been disbanded and we must rely on the Minister's good offices to ensure the machines are tested. We are concerned about this and it is happening because the Minister refused to listen and because the Government believes it owns the system. All of its systems are failing at present. Fianna Fáil has been in government for 18 of the last 20 years and it now believes it owns the country. This is evident when one sees press releases from various Ministers to the effect that they have provided money for this, that and the other. Such statements do not take account of the fact that it is hard-pressed taxpayers who have delivered the funds to provide services in different areas. At times, one would swear this money was coming out of Ministers' pockets.

The Minister cannot extend the deadline for inclusion on the register by two weeks unless we amend the Bill. He stated it is not possible to extend the deadline beyond December. However, he should ask the Attorney General to re-examine the matter and to extend the period until the end of January. Whatever date is chosen, the register would then at least be final. This would give everyone an opportunity to ensure they are on it. Unless that is done, and I acknowledge the procedural difficulties that exist, a catastrophe will occur. The latter is what the media says and it is what the figures show.

We must take control of the register from the Minister as a matter of urgency and give it to an independent body if we are to tackle this problem and ensure the register is updated monthly and that anyone who wishes to be included is included. That will not be possible under the system outlined in the Bill and there will be a great deal of unnecessary confusion in the run-up to the general election.

An independent authority should be established to register people automatically in conjunction with an agency such as An Post, which delivers mail every day. The latter organisation knows where people live and should be allowed to deal with this matter in the future. In this regard, I ask the Government to take its hands off our rural post-offices and allow them to survive in order that they might carry out this important work in conjunction with the other important roles they play within our communities. It is time for local authorities to move away from the issue because where significant population increases have occurred, they do not have the time or resources to ensure an accurate register. Many constraints on funding have been imposed by Government, including an embargo on the recruitment of staff.