Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he has taken to deal with the concerns regarding the 2007 voting register; if he will report on his contacts with South Dublin County Council in the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41943/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. In April 2006, I announced a package of measures to assist local authorities in their work on preparing the 2007/8 Register.

This included: a commitment of up to €6m in new funding from the Exchequer to ensure a comprehensive and well resourced Register campaign; an initial allocation of €171,000 was made available to South Dublin County Council in July; a €1m national media campaign involving TV, radio, the print media and billboards; new IT based arrangements so that the names of people that have died are automatically notified to local authorities for deletion from the Register; all local authority websites to facilitate voters in checking that their names are on the register; and a central website www.checktheregister.ie (which went live on 1 November) giving direct links to each local authority's eReg enquiry screen.

My Department also worked with a group of local authority managers and senior officials to put in place an enhanced programme for improving the 2007/2008 Register. Detailed procedures for the carrying out of registration fieldwork were finalised and issued to local authorities in early July. The procedures included provision for ensuring that each household was visited and provided with forms and information at least twice, if necessary. In the event that this process did not satisfactorily register the household, written notification would then be given cautioning of the danger of being omitted from the Register. Local authorities were also requested to cross check with other data that they might have (e.g. council housing lists).

I am satisfied that local authorities have carried out the most extensive registration campaign in decades for the Draft Register 2007/8. The campaign has involved some 1,500 fieldworkers visiting some 1.2 million households; many of these were visited more than once so as to ensure a more accurate Register. As a result of the extensive activity at local level, combined with a strong media-based national awareness campaign, public interest in the registration process and its fundamental importance to democratic participation is now at a very high level.

The process is not finished. The Draft Register has been published by each local authority. I received requests from 3 local authorities to provide additional time to complete their work. Rather than confine the extension to the 3 councils, I decided to provide more time to all councils to complete their work on the register up to 2 January. I have also decided to give additional time to members of the public for submitting corrections to their council up until 9 December. These changes were provided for by way of an amendment to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006 which has now been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Draft Register can be checked up to 9 December in: Council offices, Public libraries, Post offices, Garda stations, and On-line on each local authority website and through the central site www.checktheregister.ie

People aged 18 and over who are not registered, or whose details are not correctly registered, may apply to their city or county council for registration or correction as appropriate; a form for this purpose can be downloaded from www.checktheregister.ie. Valid registration applications will be reflected in the final Register which will be published in February 2007.

In relation to the period after 9 December, it will be open to eligible persons still not included on the Register to secure their registration through inclusion in the Supplementary Register; applications for this purpose may be made up to 15 days before polling day.