Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1044. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an explanation as to the reason a polling station (details supplied) in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown constituency has no wheelchair access; and if he will rectify this situation before persons go to the polls again. [21544/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under electoral law, returning officers are responsible for all matters in relation to the conduct of elections, including the provision of polling stations. The Electoral Act 1992 provides that local authorities, in making polling schemes, shall endeavour to appoint polling places where at least one polling station is accessible to wheelchair users and requires that the returning officer shall, where practicable, provide polling stations which are accessible to wheelchair users. The returning officer must also, where practicable, give public notice of all polling stations which are inaccessible to wheelchair users, not later than eight days before polling day. If an elector considers that he or she might have difficulty gaining access to a polling station, he or she may apply in writing to the returning officer for authorisation to vote at another polling station in the same constituency or local electoral area.

If a person has a physical illness or physical disability which prevents him or her from going to the polling station, the person can vote by post if he or she applies to be included in the postal voters list which is drawn up each year as part of the register of electors. In order to be entered on the postal voters list, the person must apply to the appropriate local authority by 25 November each year. After that date, an application for inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters list may be made.