Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 50: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether a system of automatic registration on the electoral register of persons who turn 18 years of age could be devised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36637/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The compilation and publication of the register is a matter for each registration authority in accordance with electoral law and involves the carrying out of house-to-house or other local inquiries, including in many cases delivering registration forms to households for completion. The draft register is published on 1 November each year and is made available for examination at post offices, public libraries, Garda stations, courthouses and local authority offices up to 25 November. The final register is published on 1 February and comes into force for a year on 15 February.

Each year, my Department undertakes an advertising campaign to coincide with the publication of the draft register to encourage electors to check the draft and ensure that they are correctly registered. In recent years, the advertising campaign has included elements specifically targeted at young people.

Students who live away from home while attending college have the choice of being registered at their home address or their student residential address. Students pursuing a course of study on a full-time basis at an educational institution in the State who are registered at but living away from home and cannot attend their polling station may apply for entry in the postal voters list.

Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, the grounds for making application for entry in the supplement to the register were widened to allow a person who reaches 18 years of age on or before polling day to apply for entry in the supplement to the register; previously, the cut-off point was the closing date for the supplement.

While the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register depend to a significant extent on the co-operation and engagement of the individual citizen, I will keep under review the scope for further initiatives to help registration authorities identify and target young people in this regard.