I wish to register my disappointment with the Minister of State's attitude to postal voting. She said it would require legislation to implement postal voting. We already have a system of postal voting which operates for local elections. We have legislation before us now and the Minister should have taken the opportunity to introduce postal voting in this referendum by extending the system.
The Government will be judged by their actions and not by their pious platitudes. The Government say they are in favour of giving postal votes to the disabled and elderly, but they are not doing so. They are introducing a system with regard to sheriffs but no sheriffs have yet been appointed. They are talking about this since last October. They have been in Government for almost four years and they have not amended the law with regard to postal voting. This Bill should be amended in the Seanad so as to allow for postal voting.
At the end of her speech the Minister of State made a sanctimonious plea to people to come out and vote. There are many thousands of people who will be unable to take advantage of this pious plea because of their age or disability. Over the past few months the Taoiseach has been asked by various Members about postal voting for this referendum. He has consistently said the matter is being examined. He said that again this morning, yet a junior Minister says it will need legislation. The vehicle for the legislation is in front of us and I appeal to the Minister of State to have this legislation amended to allow the elderly, the disabled and those who through no fault of their own find themselves unable to be in their constituencies on polling day to vote. The Minister of State's plea would sound more sincere if she had taken the opportunity which this Bill provides to allow for postal voting. The same form of postal voting which we have for local elections could be used. There is no reason why it cannot be done and I appeal to the Minister to do so. How many sheriffs have been appointed since last October?
