I beg to move the Second Reading of the Local Government Electors Registration Bill. I was obliged to make a Second Reading statement when introducing this Bill last Wednesday, so that I have not very much new to add to what I said on that occasion. The object of this Bill is to legalise the position with regard to the preparation of the Register for Local Government electors. If the letter of the law had been complied with, this Register should have come into force on the 15th October, but the Electoral Bill does not apply to Local Government electors, and the Representation of the People Act is to that extent still in operation. Owing to the dissolution of the Dáil, to the high pressure of other legislative duties, and to the fact that in actual practice it has been found impossible to prepare a Register in the period elapsing between the 15th July, the end of the qualifying period under the Representation of the People Act, and the 15th October, the Register did not come into operation. Accordingly it now devolves upon us to amend the Representation of the People Act retrospectively, that is, by fixing a date later than the 15th July as the date for the end of the qualifying period, and for the beginning of the Register of Local Government electors. The Electoral Act fixes November 15th as the date for the beginning of the Register of Dáil electors, and that is the obvious date for starting the preparation of the Register of Local Government Electors also. It is obvious from the point of view of time, since it is certainly to the interest of all of us to have this Local Government Register compiled as soon as possible, obvious from the point of view of economy, since otherwise additional expenditure will have to be incurred in the way of paying officials for double work, double travelling, and for double printing. I can see no valid reason why those two Registers should not be compiled at the same time, and if any Deputy does see a reason, I think the onus is on him to prove it.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORS REGISTRATION BILL, 1923. - SECOND STAGE.
I second the motion.
Question put and agreed to.
Third Stage ordered for Wednesday, December 5th.