Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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79. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons who were employed in carrying out the count and the election monitoring during the recent local and European elections that were taken from the ranks of the unemployed. [24039/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The primary role of my Department in electoral matters is to provide an appropriate policy and legislative framework for a modern and efficient electoral system. Within that framework, the relevant returning officers are responsible for all matters in connection with the actual conduct of elections, including the selection, appointment and training of polling station and count staff in accordance with the relevant provisions of electoral law.

While my Department does not compile statistics on employment provided after each election, it routinely issues guidance to Returning Officers in advance of each election and referendum. The guidance issued for the European Parliament and local elections held on 23 May 2014 emphasised that the smooth conduct of polls is dependent on maintaining a cadre of sufficiently skilled and experienced people. Having regard to that overall objective, returning officers were advised to employ competent and efficient persons as polling and count staff and asked to give consideration, where possible, to employing suitable persons who were unemployed, particularly for the position of polling clerk where the responsibilities of the post can be fulfilled under the guidance of the Presiding Officer.