asked the Minister for Local Government whether he will consider introducing legislation to amend the position whereby a political party, other than those properly registered, is prevented from having its name included on the ballot paper.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Political Party Legislation.
78.
There is no proposal to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the Deputy.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there has been quite an amount of controversy about this legislation which appears to be causing many people disquiet and that in the event of a new political party arriving on the political scene it would be only their democratic right that they could be registered under any name they choose?
You could not possibly have a situation in which a party or, indeed, any body could in theory apply for registration and that they would be allowed to call themselves any name they liked.
I do not think there is any suggestion that they should call themselves Fianna Fáil but——
Or another Labour Party.
We are accustomed to that but is it not a clear deprivation of civil rights for any group of citizens to be prevented by law from registering themselves on ballot papers by any political name they wish?
No, I do not agree. There is provision in the Act whereby the party can become registered as a political party for the purposes of the Act.
Particularly in the case of local elections where there might be a large number of differently labelled political groups surely it is entirely improper that all such groups should be obliged to label themselves or would be compulsorily labelled on the ballot paper as "non-party"? In fact, they may be a local political group and in that context is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied that the existing legislation is fair and adequate or that it should be subject to some review?
I think the existing legislation does provide for the entry of a new political party subject to certain conditions. The conditions, to me, do not seem onerous.
Why should there be discrimination against Fianna Fáil republicans?