asked the Minister for Justice what records are used as a basis, and what investigations are made in connection with, the compilation of jury lists.
25.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Jury Lists.
24.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state, in view of the present unsatisfactory state of the Dublin jury lists referred to by a judge of the High Court recently, what steps will be taken to ensure accuracy in the future compilation of the lists.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together. The procedures for the preparation of jurors lists are set out in detail in Part III of the Juries Act, 1927, as amended by the Juries Act, 1945.
The jurors lists are compiled by the County Registrars from draft lists supplied by the local authorities and the accuracy of the lists depends almost entirely on the accuracy of this basic information.
The necessity for accuracy in the compilation of the draft jurors lists has been impressed on Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Corporations and on Dublin County Council.
The Minister will have seen the concern expressed last week by the learned judge in the High Court regarding the obvious weaknesses in the preparation of these lists. Can the Minister say whether the basis for the compilation of these lists is the draft electoral register? If what the learned judge says is true—and we have every reason to believe it is—does it not give cause for grave concern in regard to the serious inaccuracies in the electoral register?
The basis for the compilation of the jurors list is the electoral list. This is certainly a matter of concern and, indeed, the future compilation of jurors lists. I share the concern of both the judge and the Deputy in this matter. I intend to have legislative proposals in the form of a Bill before the House within the next few months to deal with this and other matters.
Would the Minister have a word with the Minister for Local Government regarding the preparation of the electoral list?
That is a separate question.
It must be a shocking electoral list if one-third of it is wrong.
It was never any other way.