Electoral Register

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 December 2017

Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Questions (515)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

515. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure that the persons who have been forced into homelessness are registered to vote. [51507/17]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The Electoral Act 1992 provides for the registration of voters where they are ‘ordinarily resident’. The determination of ‘ordinary residence’ is a matter for decision by each registration authority in the light of the circumstances of each particular case. Depending on the circumstances, the registration authority may consider it appropriate to register people experiencing homelessness at a particular address where they may be residing temporarily.

While the registration of voters is a matter for the registration authorities, in the circumstances, they are expected to take a reasonable and common-sense approach to the inclusion of people experiencing homelessness in the register of electors.