Vol. 492 No. 3
16 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total number of voters on the electoral register who are disqualified from voting in constitutional referenda; the reasons for disqualification; the plans, if any, he has to introduce legislation which would extend voting rights to this particular category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13855/98]
Article 47.3 of the Constitution provides that the right to vote at a referendum shall be confined to citizens of Ireland who are entitled to vote at a Dáil election. The question of whether an amendment of the Constitution in relation to this aspect would be desirable might best be considered, in the first instance, by the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
The number of electors entitled to vote at a referendum included in the 1998-9 register of electors, which was published on 2 February 1998 and which will be in force for the period from 15 February 1998 to 14 February 1999, is 2,747,088.
In addition, a total of 34,949 non-Irish citizens are included in the register and are eligible to vote at a Dáil, European or local election. I understand from provisional figures provided to my Department by registration authorities, that a further 9,445 electors were added to the current register of electors by way of the supplements which were published in connection with the recent Dáil by-elections and referenda. As the figures do not give a breakdown between the various categories of poll at which electors included in the supplement are entitled to vote, it is not possible to indicate how many of these electors are not eligible to vote at a referendum.
