asked the Minister for the Environment if he will extend the system of postal voting at national and local elections to members of the Irish Diplomatic Service serving abroad and to members of the staff of the IDA, CTT and Aer Lingus in offices abroad as these people are effectively deprived of their voting rights.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal Voting.
8.
I have no proposals at present to extend the system of postal voting to the categories referred to.
Would the Minister consider sympathetically a request for such an extension.
The provision of postal voting facilities for diplomats and others normally resident outside the country would give rise to problems over and above those normally associated with postal voting. For example, residence within the country is a fundamental requirement for registration as an elector. The categories mentioned would in general be ordinarily resident outside the country. While postal voting would help persons living in, say, western Europe, it would be of little benefit to those living further afield because the time available would be too short for the issue and return of the ballot papers. If special arrangements were to be provided for some of the categories there could be pressure to provide similar facilities for all Irish citizens resident abroad. The number of such citizens would be very great. If the principle of granting the vote to Irish citizens resident outside the State were to be considered, the potential number involved would be very high. It is generally estimated that there are about one million Irish citizens resident in Britain. There would also be a large number in countries such as the USA and Canada. In addition most of the one-and-a-half million inhabitants of Northern Ireland are Irish citizens. If issue were made to diplomats and representatives of State companies it would be very difficult to justify excluding other categories.
I do not wish to make the job of the Chair more difficult and I recognise that we are not going as fast as we should, but surely the Minister has contradicted himself when he refers to the difficulties that would occur. This facility currently exists for the benefit of Irish Army personnel overseas. I am simply asking the Minister to extend this principle — and to accept that it is simply an extension — to people normally resident in this country but who for purposes of employment by the State or semi-State companies are temporarily living abroad?
The Joint Committee on Electoral Law 1969-71 recommended against any extension of postal voting facilities beyond the Garda and the Defence Forces. Because of the large numbers involved, there was a risk of abuse.
Does the Minister not think that something has changed since then?
No. That is a separate question.