Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this issue. I know that many elected representatives, public representatives, political parties and others are preparing for the local and European Parliament elections in June. Polling day for both sets of elections is an important event in our democracy.

In electoral law, the polling day for all elections and referendums is set when the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage makes the relevant order. These orders include the date and times that polling will take place. An announcement in respect of polling day for the local elections this year will be made in due course by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As Senators will be aware, the polls for European Parliament and local elections in Ireland are typically taken on the same day. As Senators are aware, elections for the European Parliament and local elections will take place between 6 and 9 June but I have been told that the Minister will make the polling day orders in early April. That is within the month or less. In three weeks' time, we will have the date assigned. I hope this gives people a bit more confidence in terms of the date but we do know that it will be between 6 and 9 June.