Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a new national rolling electoral register will it be based on the PPS system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42937/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority – the city and county councils. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. The focus of my Department's work in relation to the Register is to support and assist registration authorities in this regard, including through ensuring that an appropriate legislative framework is in place and developing best practice guidelines for registration authorities.

The Programme for Government, agreed in 2007, contains a commitment to the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission which will take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight, implement modern and efficient electoral practices, revise constituency boundaries, take charge of compiling a new national rolling Electoral Register, take over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending and examine the issue of financing the political system.

The renewed Programme for Government, agreed in October 2009, reaffirms the commitment to establish an Electoral Commission which will, amongst other things, be responsible for administering the voting registration process. The question of the use of PPS numbers for electoral registration purposes will be fully considered in the context of the work relating to the planned Commission.