Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 11:

In page 21, line 10, to delete “may publish,” and substitute “shall make publicly available”.

Amendment No. 11 is a simple amendment that aims to make sure that the Electoral Commission would make publicly available on its website the records of the agendas of its meetings, any papers relating to those meetings and the reports of those meetings. It is hugely important that the work of the commission is transparent and accessible to the public. Opening the doors to the work of the commission would provide an opportunity for the public to learn about its work and develop trust between the public and this important public body.

It seems especially pertinent in the age of misinformation that these records would be made available, particularly as they relate to the conduct of elections in the State. We know from looking at other jurisdictions that trust in electoral processes is being eroded. We need to do everything in our power to ensure this does not occur in our own jurisdiction. While the Bill currently provides that the commission may publish these records, it is important to mandate that it does so at regular intervals. I hope the Minister of State will agree.