Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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231. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of scoping exercises by his Department on reform of the voter registration process including online voter registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38094/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In March 2017 the Government determined that work should commence on modernisation of the voter registration process in the context of the possible need to register voters resident outside the State in the event that the referendum on extending the franchise in Presidential elections is passed.

The project, which it is estimated will take some 2-3 years to complete, will also include consideration of wider policy and legislative changes, including initiatives such as online registration. There will be an initial focus on a series of proposals including those made by the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht in its report on the consultation it carried out on the proposed Electoral Commission in 2016.

Conscious of the importance of the register and its role in our democracy and the need to ensure security and integrity are key priorities for any changes being considered, significant consultation is planned to engage all stakeholders, including registration authorities, the political system at all levels and the public. An initial technical consultation with franchise teams in local authorities is currently underway and will inform the further development of proposals. A public consultation, currently anticipated to be launched in Q4 2018, will offer an opportunity to all relevant stakeholders and the public to contribute.