Seán Ryan
Question:39 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the proposals, if any, he has for the introduction of weekend voting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5993/00]
Written Answers. - National Polls.
While I am not opposed to the introduction of weekend voting, I remain to be convinced that it would make a major difference to voter turnout. National polls have now been held on all days from Tuesday to Friday and the recent Údarás na Gaeltachta elections were held on a Saturday with no dis cernible trend in improved voter turnout from one day to another. A move to weekend voting would require careful consideration of a range of matters, including the likelihood of competition with sporting events, difficulty in obtaining election staff, increased staff costs, the large numbers now employed in the service industry at weekends, people being away from home and serious reservations from the main religions with Sunday voting.
Overall, it is not clear that more people would have an opportunity to vote if elections and referendums were held on a Saturday or Sunday. The essential difficulty with this issue in relation to voter turnout is that in attempting to accommodate one group of voters by choosing a particular polling day, another group is likely to be inconvenienced. Nonetheless, it is a matter that I will keep under consideration, including the option of holding elections over a two day period, including a Saturday or Sunday.