John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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446. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to address the many scenarios in which citizens and registered voters are unable to exercise the right to vote due to, for example, illness (including Covid); holidays; work abroad; and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9572/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under electoral law, in order to be able to vote at electoral events in Ireland, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. With some exceptions (mainly postal and special voters) all persons must attend in person to vote at their local polling station. Irish citizens ordinarily resident outside the State do not have the right to vote at elections or at referendums held in the State.

Electoral law provides for postal voting for a number of different categories of people. These are:

• whole-time members of the Defence Forces,
• members of An Garda Síochána,
• Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners,
• electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability,
• electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day,
• full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State,
• prisoners, and
• certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside.

Persons who live in a hospital, nursing home, mental health institutions or similar institution and wish to vote at these locations, may qualify as a special voter.

The Electoral Reform Act 2022 also provided for postal voting by special voters in circumstances where the place where the special voter is ordinarily resident cannot be accessed by the special presiding officer, and as a consequence the special voter would not be able to vote at the poll.

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, was established in February 2023. An Coimisiún's research, advisory and public information function enables it to carry out research on electoral policy and procedure. An Coimisiún is also empowered to advise and make recommendations to the Minister and the Government in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or any other policy matters concerning electoral and legislative proposals.

An Coimisiún’s Research Programme 2024-2026, published on 10 July 2024, includes a commitment to examine the issue of postal voting. My Department will review this policy area once An Coimisiún has considered and made recommendations on the issue.