Written answers
Tuesday, 9 April 2024
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Electoral Process
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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642. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the evidence on which the decision was made to close voting at 8 pm on Whiddy Island for the recent referendum on 8 March 2024, considering the polling officer and polling clerk are residents on the island thus are not limited by bad weather or the ferry timetable, which could be altered as necessary to facilitate voting; to extend voting times for future polling days on Whiddy Island back to 10 pm in line with the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14309/24]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Part 8 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 amended the electoral codes to provide for same-day island voting at all elections and referendums. Section 202 of the Act amends the Referendum Act 1994 and provides that the Minister may make an Order, taking account of advice from the local returning officer, to shorten polling hours on an island at a referendum where it would be unnecessary or impracticable to have full polling hours due to local circumstances. The local circumstances to be considered include
- the number of electors on the island,
- the distance between a polling station on an island and the place appointed for the counting of votes,
- advance forecasts of stress of weather, and
- foreseen transport difficulties.
In advance of the polls to be taken on 7 June and before deciding to make an Order in accordance with the legislative provisions, I will take account of the advice of the local returning officers in respect of the hours of polling on the islands.
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