Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Senators for their positive remarks and their support for the Bill. We do not claim the Bill is the be-all and end-all to electoral ills but, nonetheless, the measures contained in it are very important.

Senator Ó Domhnaill mentioned wider political reform. The Government has a fine record on political reform. In the area of political funding, we effectively banned corporate donations and significantly reduced the limits of donations that can be accepted. We have introduced a provision to incentivise the participation of women. Political party accounts are to be submitted to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, for 2015 and they will be published in 2016. Constituency boundaries for all elections have been revised to improve the balance of representation.

On the matter of the electoral commission, in January 2015 the Minister, Deputy Kelly, published a consultation paper on the establishment of an electoral commission and invited the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht to undertake a public consultation process on the paper and report back to him. The committee completed its consultation at the end of July 2015 and I understand has finalised its report which will be launched shortly. The report will inform the development of the electoral commission Bill. When launching the consultation paper last January, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, made it clear that the task of establishing an electoral commission involves a significant job of work and will take a number of years to complete. Consideration of the outcome of the consultation process and development of legislation is a necessary first step.

In response to Senator Ó Domhnaill’s suggestion for a candidate freepost, it is open to all candidates to combine their efforts and issue one combined letter to voters. A change in the law is not necessary for that to take place.

Changes will be made to ballot papers to assist visually impaired voters. I thank the good Senator Norris for his kind words. I am sure the Senator will welcome the removal of the italics and parentheses.

Senator Wilson also sought clarification. The university postage amendment is a technical one, moving the provision from one Act to another. I explained the reason for that when I spoke on the Bill earlier and he can refer to the detail in the speech. I will speak on the matter raised by Senator Keane when we deal with the amendments.