Electoral Commission Establishment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2018

Thursday, 18 January 2018

Questions (360)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

360. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 2241 of 20 June 2017, the status of the work to establish the commission as outlined in A Programme for Partnership Government and in view of the decision of the Citizens' Assembly to endorse the establishment of a permanent electoral commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2642/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Deputy John Paul Phelan)

The 2016 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on the establishment of an electoral commission is informing the implementation of the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government on establishing an electoral commission and it is informing the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill to give effect to that.  Work is ongoing in my Department in preparing, in the first instance, a Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Bill.  

Following the completion of its deliberations on the manner in which referendums are held, the Citizens' Assembly will report and make recommendations, in due course, to the Houses of the Oireachtas. Any recommendations made by the Citizens' Assembly regarding the establishment of an Electoral Commission will then be considered as part of the ongoing work in my Department.