Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1002: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the situation regarding the registration for postal voting for the referendum of 2 October 2009 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34175/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Postal voting is provided for in respect of certain categories of person as specified in electoral law. Electors who are eligible for, but not already included on, the postal voters list may apply for entry on the supplement to this list and they can do this at any time. Under section 15A(4) of the Electoral Act 1992, as inserted by section 7 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, an application by an elector to have his or her name entered in the supplement to the postal voters list, which is received by the registration authority on or after the third day after the date of the making of the order appointing polling day at a referendum shall not have effect in relation to that referendum.

As the polling day order fixes the polling day, it is not possible to advertise the definitive closing date for the postal voters' supplement in advance of the order being made. The polling day order for the 2009 Lisbon Treaty Referendum was made on 13 July and, accordingly, the closing date for the supplement to the postal voters list was 15 July. My Department notified advertisements to the print media immediately on the making of the polling day order and these were widely published on the 14 and 15 July.