Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
97. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding the arrangements for the holding of future referendums, including the days of the week on which referendums will be held. [52240/12]
View answer110. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure spending on any future referendum information campaign is undertaken only by the Referendum Commission and not Government Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51813/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 110 together.
Arrangements for the holding of referendums are set out in the Referendum Acts 1994 to 2001. In accordance with the Referendum Acts the costs of running a referendum are met by the Minister for Finance from the Central Fund on the request of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the costs of the Referendum Commission are met by the Department sponsoring the constitutional amendment Bill.
On the question of spending by Government Departments it is a matter for each Department to ensure that expenditure is only incurred in accordance with public financial procedures. The provision of sanction, either specific or delegated, for voted expenditure is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and it is the responsibility of each Department to ensure that only expenditure covered by sanction is incurred.
On the matter of the day of the week on which referendums are held, whenever a Bill containing a proposal for the amendment of the Constitution is passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, I am required under section 10 of the Referendum Act 1994 to appoint the day upon which the poll at the referendum shall take place. The Act allows for the taking of the poll on any day of the week and this flexibility allows all relevant factors to be taken into account at any given time in setting the polling day. While I have no proposals to change the current arrangements for the holding of referendums they are kept under review in my Department in the light of all relevant developments.
In the meantime the Electoral (Amendment) (Referendum Spending and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which is on the Government’s legislation programme, will be progressed. This Bill will provide for the disclosure of expenditure and donations at referendum campaigns and for the extension of the spending limit period that applies at Presidential, Dáil, European Parliament and local elections.
