asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider the provision of a postal vote for persons who are incapacitated and consequently unable to attend at a polling booth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal Votes.
64.
Postal voting is confined by law to members of the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces and the introduction of legislation to extend the facility to other categories is not proposed. The Joint Committee on the Electoral Law in its final report dated 12th July, 1961, recommended against any further extension of postal voting facilities.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware, that far from extending voting, at the Referendum instructions were issued that people who were unable to climb stairs leading up to a polling booth were not to be facilitated by having the box brought out to them?
From time to time various suggestions have been made about various categories of voters who should be entitled to postal votes but the number involved is so great that it would be impossible to do this.
What about the chronically disabled on the panel in the Department of Social Welfare in receipt of benefits?
It is not proposed at the moment——
Surely a person who goes to the trouble of going to the booth should be facilitated and should not be prevented under a new regulation from voting?
(Cavan): In view of the fact that exceptions have been made in regard to disabled persons in other spheres such as the road tax fund, would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider giving them special consideration here? Is the Parlimentary Secretary aware that in some cases the presiding officers breach the rules and bring out the ballot papers to disabled persons?
The Question relates to the postal votes and we cannot discuss the whole system of voting on this question.
(Cavan): I am putting this to the Parliamentary Secretary as a reason why he might grant them postal votes. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that that happens? Is he further aware that it would be better to issue a postal vote than to have the existing rules breached as they are being breached?
Instructions have been given to returning officers to have booths in places where there would be no difficulty, or at least very little difficulty, involved for incapacitated persons voting. By and large this has been carried out. I know there were places where it was difficult for such persons to gain access to the booths to vote.
(Cavan): Some booths are still up stairs.
What about disabled persons who are disfranchised by this difficulty?
There is a very wide variety of persons who would be equally entitled to postal votes for one reason or another. Persons in these categories are so deserving that dealing with one category would necessitate dealing with the others.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary tell us the number of people who do not vote as a result of being incapacitated?
How would you know that?