asked the Minister for Justice whether arrangements have been made for prisoners in Irish places of penal servitude to vote in the next general election; whether arrangements have ever been made for them to vote in any election; and the proposals he has in this respect.
Written Answers. - Prisoners' Voting Rights.
268.
The answer to the first part of the question is "no" and, to the second part, "no, as far as is known from available records".
As regards the last part of the question, I do not know of any reason for distinguishing in this context between penal servitude and imprisonment. Accordingly, unless what the Deputy is suggesting is that, the electoral law should be changed, a matter which is not primarily my responsibility, the proposition would involve taking some 1,300 prisoners to polling booths near their normal place of residence. Such a project would be entirely impractical.