Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I am disappointed the commission did not get the job of overseeing elections. That matter should be transferred out of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government into a specific election department. I do not say that against any official. It is time that we had an independent electoral commission dealing exclusively and solely with elections.

I agree with Senators Hannigan and Ellis on the issue of the transfer of surpluses. It is imperative. If the Minister of State does nothing else today, we need to educate people about the proportional representation single transferable vote system. We have not done that despite the most elaborate concoctions ever in the Department.

We need to go back and review from where the ballots come to be distributed. The Seanad system is probably a fairer one——