Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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566. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to reform the postal voting application system before the date of the next referendum to allow for more categories of reasons to apply for and receive a postal vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8411/15]

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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590. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the date for the upcoming referendums will be announced; and his plans for an extension of a postal vote in respect of a person (details supplied). [8150/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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595. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the restrictions on the current criteria for postal voters; and his plans to address these restrictions to ensure that resident Irish citizens, who are temporarily abroad for work or on vacation, can also vote in referenda and general elections. [8175/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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596. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to implement a voting system whereby persons who cannot access a polling station on voting day, as a result of the fact that they are either away or in hospital, would be provided a chance to have a postal vote. [8177/15]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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598. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on changing the current law to provide the postal vote to voters who are temporarily out of the State on a polling day, due to non-work related commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8183/15]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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603. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to change the criteria for those wishing to exercise their right to vote but who are out of the country on holiday or for a family occasion, in view of the fact referendums are now held annually and there has been a significant amount of emigration over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8202/15]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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604. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will change the requirements for postal voting (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8216/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 566,590,595,596,598,603 and 604 together.

In order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides.

Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda Síochána; Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses or civil partners; electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability; electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day and full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State; certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside; and electors who because of the circumstances of their detention in prison pursuant to an order of a court are likely to be unable to go in person on polling day to vote.

Qualifying voters can apply to their local authority for inclusion in the postal voters lists.

Electors who are eligible for, but not already included in, the postal voters list may apply for entry into the supplement to these lists.  Such applications must be received by the registration authority at least 22 days (not including Sundays, Good Friday or Public Holidays) before polling day at a referendum in order to be considered for that referendum.

While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to extend existing arrangements for postal voting. In responding to the recommendation of the Constitution on the Convention in their fourth report that there should be greater access to postal voting, the Government proposed that an electoral commission be tasked in due course with considering the issue and advising in detail on the electoral and operational implications, including costs, of implementing change in this area.

As regards a date for the forthcoming referendums, I will make the necessary polling day order, in accordance with section 10 of the Referendum Act 1994, when the Constitution Amendment Bills have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas.