asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that on days of polling for elections to Dáil Éireann a large number of the electorate, including commercial travellers, are working away from home and cannot return to cast their votes; and if in view of the seriousness and importance of the proposed constitutional changes he will consider the holding of the expected referendum on P.R. on a Sunday so that all voters so affected can return to their home addresses to cast their votes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Holding of Referendum.
22.
I am aware of the difficulties which arise in the case of persons whose employment may oblige them to be absent from the places where they are entitled to vote. Representations have been made to me on behalf of commercial travellers that elections should be held on Mondays or Fridays but this has not been found to be practicable in the case of general elections. Similar difficulties would arise in the case of a referendum. The question of holding elections on Sundays was examined during the emergency having regard to the exceptional conditions then prevailing but even then the objections to the suggestion were found to outweigh any advantages it might have. The decision then made that the holding of an election on a Sunday was not desirable applies also in the case of a referendum.