Vol. 517 No. 6
308 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the basis on which electoral registers are updated and compiled; his view on whether such updating can be haphazard in some local authority areas giving rise to considerable inaccuracies; and the proposals, if any, he has to improve same. [10793/00]
The compilation and publication of the register of electors is a matter for each registration authority in accordance with electoral law. The process involves the registration authority carrying out house-to- house or other local inquiries during September-October and in many cases delivering registration – RFA – forms to households for completion.
The draft register is published on 1 November and is made available for examination at post offices, public libraries, Garda stations, courthouses and local authority offices up to 25 November. The public are invited to check the draft during this period to make sure that they are correctly registered. Any errors or omissions in the draft should be brought immediately to the attention of the registration authority. The final register is published on 1 February and comes into force for a year on 15 February.
I am keen to ensure that the register of electors used at any poll should be as accurate as possible. The law in relation to registration procedures is under regular review in my Department and there have been a number of changes in recent years which have helped to improve accuracy. The changes include the provision for entry of persons who are omitted from the original register on to a supplement to the register during the currency of that register. New categories of electors are also entitled to apply for entry in the postal voters list. In addition, the law also allows certain electors to apply for entry on a supplement to the postal voters and special voters lists during the lifetime of a register.
Further improvements to the registration process are also among a number of electoral matters that I am currently examining.
