Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 October 2015
349. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding procedures involving electoral registers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37053/15]
View answerIn law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local authority as a registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. The draft register is published on 1 November each year and is generally available for examination at post offices, Garda stations and local authority offices and on-line at www.checktheregister.ie up to 25 November. The public are invited through a national poster campaign and through national and local advertising to check the draft during this period to make sure that they are correctly registered and to bring errors or omissions in the draft to the attention of the local authority.
A person who becomes an Irish citizen is entitled under the Electoral Act 1992 to be registered as a Dáil, Presidential or European elector in a constituency if he or she has reached the age of 18 and was on the qualifying date – 1 September in the year prior to the register coming into force – an Irish citizen ordinarily resident in that constituency. In this regard, it might be noted that the Electoral (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2015, which was published on 2 October 2015, provides for amendment of the Electoral Act 1992 to enable persons who become Irish citizens after the qualifying date for the register of electors to apply for entry in the supplement to the register of electors.
