Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of prisoners who have registered to vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7417/07]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way prisoners here were made aware of their right to register to vote in the upcoming general election; the number of the prison population who have registered to vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6858/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 556 together.

The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006, enacted in December 2006, provides for postal voting facilities for prisoners.

Detailed guidance and application forms in this regard were issued by my Department to all registration authorities on 11 January 2007, including guidance on implementation of the statutory requirement on authorities to give public notice of the new facilities during the period from 19 to 26 January; as part of this process, application forms with accompanying explanatory notes have been made available in all prisons. This material also issued to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for transmission to the Prison Service who are responsible for practical implementation of the new arrangements within the prisons, including the designation of relevant officials to perform specified functions in the registration and voting processes. In addition, to ensure that the new arrangements were publicised as widely as possible, my Department placed prominent advertisements in the main national newspapers on four dates in advance of the public notice period: on Saturday and Sunday 13 and 14 January and on Wednesday and Thursday 17 and 18 January.

The latest date for receipt of applications for inclusion on the 2007/2008 prisoners postal voters list was 14 February 2007.

The compilation of the register of electors is the responsibility of the registration authorities. Preliminary figures from the registration authorities indicate that some 400 prisoners applied by the closing date of 14 February for inclusion on the 2007/2008 postal voters list. The applications are currently being examined by the registration authorities who will notify prisoners of decisions on applications when they have been fully considered. Details of the numbers of prisoners on the 2007/8 postal voters list will be available when this process is finalised.

A prisoner from whom an application was not received by 14 February may apply for inclusion on the supplement to the 2007/2008 postal voters list.