Michael Creed
Question:175 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for the Environment if he will grant voting rights to French citizens living in Ireland.
Written Answers. - Voting Rights.
French citizens ordinarily resident in this country have the right to vote at local government elections and at elections to the European Parliament. There is also provision in electoral law for the extension of the right to vote at Dáil elections to citizens of EC member states on a reciprocal basis. The necessary condition of reciprocity does not exist at present in the case of French citizens.
Mary Wallace
Question:176 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the effect of the local government changes of place names regulations (1956 Statutory Instrument No. 31) on the voting rights of women members of the electorate where the ratepayer is considered to be the male householder and the female must prove joint ownership of the home in order to qualify for a vote.
The Local Government Act, 1946, provides for the changing of the names of certain local areas with the consent of not less than four-sevenths of the ratepayers for the area in question. The reference to ratepayers in this context is now anachronistic and I intend that a more appropriate provision will be included in the next appropriate local government Bill.