Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, back to the House. He and I soldiered together for a term and I commend him on the work he is doing in his Department.We must give credit every now and again. The Minister of State is doing a good job in the area of local government. He is respected for his commitment by the general public and elected members at local authority level on all sides.

This is an issue on which we are all united. We had a hard battle to win the vote for people. Obstacles were placed in people's way over the centuries. For a long time in this country, one could not vote if one were a Catholic. For a long time, one could not vote unless one had wealth. For a long time, one could not vote if one were a woman. Thankfully, all these obstacles have been lifted. The single remaining barrier to using one’s franchise, however, is disability. Thankfully, we are in the civilised age when we realise every help must be given to people of disability who wish to cast their vote. It is an act of great patriotism, especially for people with a disability, to exercise one's franchise. People with disabilities have enough obstacles in their way. Many people just do not vote. I love to see people with a disability coming to the polling booth. It shows their commitment to their country and is an act of real patriotism.

The Minister of State has outlined the situation, which we accept. It is important voters have alternative polling stations if the polling station they would normally attend is not adapted properly for them. A returning officer has the right to make special arrangements for them. Should they request it in advance, they can be allowed to vote at a different polling station where they would be accommodated in a better way. There is also the postal vote. Following a High Court ruling in 2017, ballot paper templates have been introduced to facilitate people with visual impairments to vote by secret ballot in referendums and presidential elections. Wherever possible, polling stations are to be situated in buildings which are accessible. They must always be set at ground floor level. Temporary ramps can be installed to facilitate access.

I have been around polling booths for some time. I did some duty as an election agent when I was 12 years of age for a certain political party. I have seen much coming and going. One of the most embarrassing and degrading things I have seen is the abuse of disabled voters down through the years in the polls, in nursing homes and in hospitals. No party is guiltless. It is important that the dignity of a person must be first and foremost and every accommodation must be given that the voter can have the confidence that he or she is voting in private. Just because one is impaired should not invalidate one's right to a secret ballot. The secret ballot is the foundation of democracy. I have seen people being asked to vote in situations where one would be sorry for them. There was no secrecy about it. At one stage, many politicians felt if they got up early enough in the morning and collected enough disabled people, then they had votes in the bag as they could control the vote. Thankfully those days are gone.

The largest single change I saw was the right for people in hospitals and nursing homes to cast their votes in siturather than having ill people being physically dragged into polling stations. It was not right. Now they can vote in the privacy of the hospital accompanied by an appropriate person or garda to ensure no outside involvement.

The introduction of the ballot paper template was a good development. The regulations made in October provide for a similar template for presidential elections. The option is available if a voter does not want to be assisted by a companion or a presiding officer in marking the ballot paper. Ballot paper templates will be available in each polling station. If voters tell the presiding officer that they wish to use a template, they will be handed a ballot paper with the template attached and given whatever personal assistance needed to vote in secret.Raised print and Braille are used to identify the openings in the template that match the squares on the ballot paper. The voters mark their choices on the ballot paper beneath the template. When marked the ballot paper is detached from the template and placed in the ballot box in the usual way.

In 2015, my party, Fianna Fáil, brought forward a Bill aimed at improving the voting system for visually impaired, incapacitated and illiterate voters. The purpose of that Bill was to reduce obstacles and give those voters back their independence. The legislation provides for electronically-assisted voting whereby a computer programme and printer would be used by visually-impaired people to cast their vote on a touch screen or keypad. The vote is then printed and cast in the ballot box.

We are all at one regarding this Bill. We are all committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can cast their ballot, be it at a general election, a local election, a presidential election or a European election. We support the Minister of State in his endeavours in this regard.