Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 1108: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures which are being put in place to ensure that Seanad electoral rolls of the National University and Dublin University are being kept up to date, in view of the continuing presence of several dozen names on each register of those who graduated from as long ago as 1920. [10862/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with section 9 of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, the registration officer for each of the university constituencies, appointed by the appropriate university governing body, is responsible for the maintenance and annual revision of their respective registers. The revised registers must be published by 1 June each year, when they come into effect. The registers are currently in the process of being revised and copies of the registers as revised will be available from the relevant registration officer at each university.

The report on Seanad reform by the Seanad Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform, published in April 2004, sets out a coherent and comprehensive package of recommendations for further consideration and action concerning the composition, functions and future role of Seanad Éireann. These include proposals to widen the electorate for the higher education constituency and ancillary matters such as nomination procedures, franchise and registration of electors, and methods of voting and counting.

At the Taoiseach's request, I have agreed to chair an informal all-party parliamentary group to establish the extent of cross-party agreement on the report's recommendations and to advance, with consensus, proposals for the implementation of Seanad reform. I have written to party leaders and am awaiting nominations for the informal all-party group.