I move:—
That the Seanad requests the Government to introduce proposals for legislation having for their object to make more secure the secrecy of the ballot for blind persons voting at Parliamentary elections.
I have to apologise to the Seanad in the first instance for not being able to introduce this motion at an earlier date, and I also wish to say that I am grateful to the Seanad for permitting me to hold over the motion until I could attend. This may not be an opportune time for introducing the motion but, on the other hand, it may be opportune to introduce it now, since we have the Minister for Local Government and Public Health here, and since we have just been discussing a Bill dealing with the question of accommodating voters, in general, at the forthcoming election. The resolution that I am proposing is to the effect that the Government should make special accommodation in regard to a certain class of voters, who, by reason of their disability, are a good deal hampered in regard to the secrecy of the ballot, which is guaranteed by our Constitution. All I am asking is that the Government would consider the introduction of some measures to safeguard the secrecy of the ballot in regard to blind persons who may be voting at Parliamentary elections.
It may be said that this is a very small point on which to ask the Minister to exercise Parliamentary legislation, but, as a matter of fact, it is not so small a point as one might think. The number of blind persons in Ireland is very considerable. The number of blind persons on the electoral lists must also be very considerable. In Éire there are between 7,000 and 8,000 known blind persons. That is, probably, an understatement, but I understand that that is an official figure. What happens when a blind person wishes to exercise his right to vote at a Dáil election? He has the power of voting, but he has not the power of ensuring secrecy in marking his vote. In order to record his vote, he has to dictate his choice to the presiding officer in the presence of and subject to the observation of the agents of the several candidates. While the ordinary voter can vote in strict secrecy by marking the paper where nobody can see it except himself, the blind person has to publish, certainly to three persons, and, possibly, to a dozen or 15 persons, the manner in which he is voting. It is quite clear that the observance of secrecy diminishes in high proportion as the number of persons increases to whom the "secret"— the word "secret" being in inverted commas— is confided. It is hard to believe that, where the vote of the person concerned is of any interest to members of the public and when a dozen people know about it, it will remain secret.
The blind person has the same right to secrecy in exercising his vote as has any of the rest of us, and it is inconsiderate to him if the present method cannot be varied so as to preserve the secrecy of his vote. This could be done extremely simply. There is in force in Great Britain an Act which gives a blind person the advantage of voting in complete secrecy as regards any of the officials present at the election. He is entitled to bring with him into the polling booth some intimate friend who, according to the English Act, may be a near relative. To him he dictates his directions as to how his vote is to be placed on the ballot paper. The person who acts as amanuensis—almost as a mechanical amanuensis—is, as I have said, usually a near relative or intimate friend of the voter and is nominated by him. He is bound to secrecy just as much as are the dozen persons who watch a blind elector voting in this country. As he is chosen by the voter with full confidence in his discretion and honour, there is little chance of the vote becoming known to other people who have no right to the knowledge.
When I put down this motion some weeks ago, I had hoped that it would be possible for the Minister to give it full consideration in view of the forthcoming general election. It might be somewhat optimistic if I were to express that hope now. But I do hope that it will receive full consideration and, if possible, be inserted in the law of our country before another general election is held. The Minister may tell me that it would be impossible in the time available to implement this motion. I do not see how the impossibility arises. The matter could be dealt with in a Bill of a few clauses. I do not think that that Bill would raise even as much discussion as took place to-day on the Bill with which we have just dealt. In any event, I hope that, by moving this motion, I have not started as many unexpected hares as were started in the earlier discussion by some of my friends.