asked the Minister for Local Government when it is proposed to hold the local government elections.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Government Elections.
47.
A decision on the date of the elections has not yet been taken.
Has the Minister any idea when it will be taken?
I hope, in a matter of weeks.
A couple of weeks?
I hope so.
48.
asked the Minister for Local Government if it is a fact that, consequent upon the most recent legislation relating to local government elections, patients of mental hospitals will have the right to vote in such elections; and if he will state the relevant provisions bearing on this matter.
The right of patients in mental hospitals to be registered as electors and to vote at local elections existed prior to the enactment of the Electoral Act, 1963. In consequence of subsection (9) of section 1 of the Electoral Act, 1923, such patients could not, however, be registered as being ordinarily resident in the hospital. Section 5 of the 1963 Act removed that restriction in relation to long-stay patients. It provides, in effect, that patients should be registered as ordinarily resident at their homes if they are expected to return there within 18 months while patients who, in the opinion of the registration authority, will continue for an indefinite period to be patients or inmates of a mental hospital should be registered as being resident there.
And will, I assume, be provided with facilities to cast their votes there?
I think there are later questions about that.
49.
asked the Minister for Local Government what preparations he proposes to make to enable mental hospital patients to vote as they are entitled to do under the terms of the last Act relating to local elections.
50.
asked the Minister for Local Government what steps he proposes to take to enable mental patients under the control of the Department of Justice to vote in the coming local elections.
I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together.
I do not propose to make any special arrangements in these matters.
It is the duty of the Returning Officer to do everything necessary for effectually conducting an election. In particular, he must provide a sufficient number of polling stations, conveniently distributed, at each polling place for the accommodation of the electors. This duty would include making such arrangements as he considers necessary to facilitate voting by patients registered in the register of electors as ordinarily resident in a mental hospital.
Each mental hospital may very well be a polling station?
Yes.