I beg to ask the Minister for Local Government the following question, of which I have given him private notice: If, having regard to the fact that the complete Register of Voters is not yet available in any constituency, although large parts of the Register are available, he will for the general convenience in view of the General Election at so early a date, arrange for the Register to be made available in parts as ready?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ ORAL ANSWERS. ] - REGISTER OF VOTERS.
There are already constituencies in which the complete register is ready and available for publication. In any such case there is no objection to the supply of the register, on payment of the prescribed fee, to any person who wants it. If the sale of portion of an incomplete register were permitted prior to publication, it would not be possible to guarantee that there would be no discrimination as the supply to individuals.
I would like to ask the Minister if it is to be announced publicly that this procedure is to be adopted, where could the discrimination or the lack of justice occur?
It would be impossible, for instance, to be sure that the Registration Officer would give as readily a part that had just come in to one person as to another. There would be no means of knowing, from the point of the public or the people outside of official circles, that any particular part was ready or in, or that a part was really ready or not. It would be impossible for a person to come in, knowing that a particular part was ready and to demand it, and on the other hand it would be easy for the Registration Officer to say that one part was not ready when asked for it by one person, and that it was ready when asked for it by another. The matter really introduces a certain element of informality and laxity which would make it impossible to be quite certain that there was no discrimination. Nothing wrong might occur, but, on the other hand, if it did occur, there would be serious ground for complaint on the part of any person discriminated against.
Following upon the Minister's first answer, I would like to ask whether discrimination has not already in fact occurred as between those Constituencies where the Register is available in whole, and those Constituencies where the Register is not available in whole? I would like further to ask him if he can state when all the Registers will be available and ready in full.
It is intended to fix the date for the publication of the Register for the 8th of August.
Would that publication for the 8th of August mean for all the Constituencies alike, whether the Register was now available or not?
Yes, that is the date for publication, the 8th August.