(Cavan-Monaghan): I was told by the Minister today that he had made arrangements by regulations. Because he has made arrangements I understand that I am precluded from raising these two matters in the debate. The Minister did not tell me how he proposed to deal with the rights of candidates to send a communication to each elector on the register, which they are entitled to do by virtue of Rule 18 of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections (No. 2) Bill, 1977, which reads:
Subject to paragraph (3) of this Rule, each candidate at an Assembly election shall, subject to such conditions as may be determined by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, be entitled to send, free of any charge for postage, to each person on the register of European Assembly electors for the constituency, one postal communication containing matter relating to the election only and not exceeding two ounces in weight.
That is a statutory right conferred on each candidate nominated for the European election.
While the Minister has made provision for postal voting and for sending polling cards, which I do not agree with but which I am precluded from discussing during the debate, he has not made alternative arrangements and has not amended the Act, or apparently does not propose to do so, in regard to the rights of candidates to send a communication to each elector on the register.
I want the Minister to tell me what he proposes to do in the matter. It is obvious that the postal strike will not be settled in sufficient time to allow such communications to be sent. Even if it were settled now it would not be possible for such communications to be despatched and delivered in time.
Every Electoral Act since the foundation of the State—I think the first one was in 1923—made provision for free postal facilities for candidates in elections and the latest Act makes provision for free postal facilities for candidates in the European election. The fact that the General Post Office has not been closed since the Rising in 1916, except on Sundays and Bank Holidays, until the current dispute will go down in history.
Unless the Minister convinces me otherwise, I believe that a candidate who is defeated or wants to question the election on the grounds that he was deprived of the right to send out a communication to the electors might well succeed in upsetting the election. Perhaps the Minister can convince me that is not so and I will be glad if he can. Apart from that, it is a national disgrace with the forthcoming election which is making history in the country because it is the first time that our citizens, in common with the citizens in eight other countries, will go to the polls to elect representatives to the same assembly. It is the first time since this country was partitioned that members of every county will go to the polls on the same day to elect representatives to the same assembly. That will go down in history.
It is appalling that candidates are to be deprived of the fundamental right to send communications to electors. Has the Minister given any thought to this? What does he propose to do about it? Perhaps I should address this question to his colleague the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs: why is something not being done to settle this strike? The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs claims that he could not get down to discuss the matter with the striking union——
