Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012
672. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the purposes which are not related to elections, for which the electoral register will be used by statutory agencies or Government Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47642/12]
View answerSection 13A(3) of the Electoral Act 1992, as inserted by section 4 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, makes it an offence to use the register of electors for a purpose other than an electoral or other statutory purpose. It would be a matter for any Department to ensure that adequate provision in law has been made for use of the electoral register by that Department or by its agencies.
I made provision in 2012 for use of the electoral register for the following purposes -
Article 5(2) of the European Union (Citizens’ Initiative) Regulations 2012 provides that the designated Competent Authority may examine the Register
of European Electors, or require registration authorities to do so, in order to assess the eligibility of the signatory and the validity of the data
provided in support of a European Citizens Initiative, and
Section 1 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2012 provides for the use of the electoral register for the purpose of selecting citizens
of Ireland to participate in the Constitutional Convention.
Provision is also made under the Local Government Act 1946, as amended, to enable the register of electors to be used in relation to plebiscites regarding placename changes.
The main use of the electoral register, other than for elections and referendums, for which statutory provision has been made is for the selection of jury members. Section 6 of the Juries Act 1976, as amended by section 54 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008, provides that every citizen aged eighteen years or upwards who is entered in a register of Dáil electors in a jury district is qualified and liable to serve as a juror subject to certain qualifications.
