Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Members for their contribution on the motion. I wish the nominees the very best on their appointment to the President. I will respond to a few concerns and statements by some of the Senators. In regard to the electoral register which Senator Kyne raised, the Act provides for the extensive modernisation of the electoral register. These provisions were commenced in October. Local authorities still have full responsibility in compiling the register. Obviously the Electoral Commission will oversee the register. That is a significant responsibility on their part. In regard to public consultation, it is at its core when the boundary commission sets about doing its work. It will be open to conduct a public consultation at that juncture. In the Act, three months after the final census figures, the report must be completed. Going on that trajectory we hope to have the new boundaries legislated for before summer. That is important as the Senators pointed out both for the electorate and people practising politics. Senator Wall raised a number of issues on the timelines on when the Act was brought through the House. I assure him that a transitional team, led by Art O'Leary, provided administrative preparations for An Coimisiún Toghcháin and its establishment. The work it carried out in the intermediate time was setting out and getting agreement on the commission's organisational structure, drafting the commission's internal governance documentation and procedures, putting in place an coimisiún's ICT structures and services including its website, working with the Office of Public Works, OPW, in respect of an coimisiún's office accommodation and agreeing an coimisiún's budget for 2023. As Members will be aware its budget is €5.7 million. They are working to get a chief executive at that juncture through the public appointments service. The competition for the ordinary members was advertised on 13 October. Interviews were concluded at the end of November and we are obviously now at this juncture where we have the four nominees before us. I anticipate that the chief executive selection process will be advertised in the coming days. Hopefully we will have a chief executive in place by quarter 2 of 2023. That puts more meat on the bones of the journey we have travelled since the Act was brought in.

Senators Blaney, Kyne and Buttimer raised the constituency boundary commission. The publication of the final results of the census will be in spring 2023. I look forward to continuing further. On Senator Buttimer's point, I reiterate that public consultation will be at its core. In regard to Senator Higgins' point the programme for Government set out the trajectory of the commission. The debate in regard to Seanad reform has been a permanent fixture in the Oireachtas for a significant period of time. In an advisory capacity the commission can make recommendations in that regard.I leave it to Senators, as Members of the House, to try to square that circle. It is a significant body of work that has been raised on a number of occasions.

I thank Senators for their time. I am delighted these nominees will now be brought to the President.