Written answers

Wednesday, 18 May 2005

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Register of Electors

9:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received correspondence from a person (details supplied); if the Government is considering the possibility of extending the right to Irish citizens abroad to participate in the forthcoming referendum and other electoral contests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16697/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A letter from the person in question was received by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 12 May. It was acknowledged on 13 May and a substantive reply will issue shortly. The compilation of a register of electors is a matter for the appropriate registration authority in accordance with electoral law. To be able to vote, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for the constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. The person's citizenship determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to vote. Irish citizens who are registered to vote may vote at all polls. British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections, EU citizens other than Irish and British citizens may vote at European and local elections and non-EU citizens may vote at local elections only.

Postal voting is provided for certain categories of person as specified in electoral law. The Electoral Act 1992 provides for postal voting for members of the Garda, whole-time members of the Defence Forces and Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses. Subsequent legislation enacted by the Oireachtas has extended postal voting to other categories. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1996 extended postal voting to electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or disability. The Electoral Act 1997 extended postal voting to electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day and to full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001 extended postal voting to certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside.

The question of voting rights for Irish citizens living abroad has been considered in detail on a number of occasions, most recently by the All-Party Committee on the Constitution in its examination of Parliament. The committee's seventh progress report, published in March 2002, concluded that the right to vote in Dáil elections should remain confined to citizens ordinarily resident in the State and that the right to vote at referenda should not be granted to emigrants. While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, there are no proposals to alter the existing arrangements.

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