Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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165. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the electoral reform Bill; his plans to reintroduce a national election study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12091/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill was published and circulated to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for pre-legislative consideration in January 2021. The General Scheme is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/34cf6-general-scheme-of-the-electoral-reform-bill-2020. The Joint Oireachtas Committee carried out a thorough pre-legislative scrutiny process, taking in the views of a wide range of stakeholders and policy experts over seven sessions. The committee's pre-legislative scrutiny report was published in August 2021 and is available from the Oireachtas website at www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/33/housing-local-government-and-heritage/. The Bill is included on the list of priority legislation in the Government's current legislation programme and I expect that it will be published and will commence its progress through the Oireachtas shortly.

In line with the committment in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future, the Bill will provide for the establisment of a statutory, independent Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission's functions will include a significant Research and Advisory function and it is anticipated that this will include provision for it to carry out ex postreviews of the administration of electoral events.