asked the Minister for the Environment if he will transfer the functions of the Dáil constituency returning officers from county registrars to city and county managers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Returning Officers' Functions.
13.
There are no proposals for such a transfer.
Would the Minister agree that the city and county managers have far greater expertise and direct resources available to them and that particularly since they compile the electoral registers and make their staffs available to the county registrars, they should be effectively given control of this operation rather than having the county registrars do the work?
I am happy enough that the returning officers, who are also the county registrars, have been doing a very good job.
Is the Minister aware that in a number of urban areas, particularly the South County Dublin area, there has been massive dissatisfaction among the electorate, the candidates and the public representatives about the arrangements made in terms of requisition of polling stations?
We are getting into another area.
On that basis a change should be made.
Since the 1937 Constitution they have been acting in this way. Neither my Department nor I have received any complaints that election campaigns have not been conducted in a proper manner.
Will the Minister accept that there was considerable disquiet in the combined European and local elections last year? If there are no official or formal complaints in the Custom House, he might check the complaints lodged in Upper Mount Street about the handling of this matter. Without giving a commit-ment to the House here and now, would he review this unsatisfactory situation?
I do not know of any complaints. I was involved in a recount situation the first time I was elected. The returning officer at that time did an excellent job. Down the years I have known county registrars and they have always done a very good job.