asked the Taoiseach if the Government have any proposals to restructure the Seanad; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Election to Seanad Éireann.
1.
I have no such proposals at present.
Does the Taoiseach agree that graduates from Irish universities now domiciled in South Africa and who support apartheid can elect Members to the Houses of the Oireachtas? Will he allow that position to continue? As we have banned their fruit, why not ban their votes?
The electorate for university seats in the Seanad consists of graduates no matter in which country they live. We have never made any distinctions in this regard and the issue has never arisen. I note the Deputy's comments.
Will the Taoiseach still allow graduates who actively support the South African Government in public relations exercises around the world to vote in Seanad elections?
Well, some graduates may be in jail but they still have a right to vote in Seanad elections.
Could the Taoiseach, in one of his many capacities, do anything to ensure that university registers for the Seanad elections are updated and made more accurate than they usually are?
I would be very happy if that should be done as effectively as possible as I share the Deputy's awareness of the defects of the system which lead to very inadequate registers because of the problem of establishing addresses and the survival of graduates. The registers are defective and I know that efforts have been made to improve their quality but, by the standards of other registers, because of the way they have to be compiled, they are defective and unsatisfactory in certain respects.