Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

336. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline the Government’s intended response to TRIS notification numbers 2022/376/IRL and 2022/184/IRL with respect to the Electoral Reform Act 2022; the expected timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51438/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The provisions in Parts 4 and 5 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 were formally notified in draft form to the European Commission in accordance with the requirements of Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 September 2015 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and of rules on Information Society services (codification).

This notification procedure (known as Technical Regulation Information System or TRIS) aims to prevent the creation of barriers to trade in the internal market before they materialise. Under the notification procedure, a 90 day standstill period applies to the draft instrument following notification to the Commission to allow for the consideration of any relevant observations/comments received from the European Commission, Member States and other affected stakeholders.

During the concluding Dáil debate on the Bill on 13 July 2022, I highlighted that both Parts 4 and 5 of the Bill had been notified to the European Commission in order to provide an opportunity for Commission, Member States and other affected stakeholders to make comments or observations on the relevant provisions in the Bill.

In addition, I stressed that any comments or observations that might arise from the Commission from this formal consultative process could be considered in advance of the commencement of Parts 4 and 5 both of which are subject to commencement orders under section 1(5) of the Act. Now that the standstill periods under notifications 2022/184/IRL and 2022/376/IRL have elapsed, my Department is examining the comments received from the European Commission in response to the TRIS notification procedure.