Vol. 396 No. 4
7 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for the Environment if he will agree to extend to the physically disabled the type of postal voting system which is currently enjoyed by certain public servants and by university graduates in Seanad elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Under existing law the following facilities are provided for voting by physically disabled electors: a disabled person who is unable to go in person to vote at his polling station may apply for registration as a special voter and vote at home; a disabled person who has difficulty in gaining access to his own polling station may apply to have his vote transferred to another polling station in the same constituency; and a disabled person who requires assistance in marking his ballot paper may be assisted by a companion or by the presiding officer. It is considered that these arrangements provide a reasonable opportunity for voting by the different categories of physically disabled and an extension of postal voting is not proposed at present.
Will the Minister confirm that he has received representations from the Disabled Drivers' Association in which they have put the case to him that physically disabled persons should be entitled to the same postal voting system as university graduates and certain categories of public servants and that there is really no justification for the kind of supervised voting system which applies in their case but does not apply in the case of university graduates? Would he not agree that the postal vote would be a simpler and perhaps less expensive way of allowing physically disabled persons to vote?
It is a very expensive arrangement. I will not go into detail about its operation and the cost involved. Representations have been made particularly on the requirement that applicants must be certified as being of sound mind and capable of comprehending the act of voting and also in regard to the requirement that a medical certificate must be furnished every year. An electoral Bill is being framed and that matter will be attended to. I have also had representations on the question of singling out disabled electors to the effect that it is invidious to do so and to provide a unique voting arrangement for them, that voting arrangements for disabled people should be the same as those provided for other categories. There are about 3,000 registered as special voters. The experience with postal votes in the 1974 and 1985 local elections left a lot to be desired. It was the general understanding of all Deputies that we should not pursue the matter again in that way.
Is it the Minister's intention in the new electoral Bill which he intends to bring forward to allow physically disabled persons to have a postal vote?
No. I said that in the Bill I will be dealing with the matter of annual medical certification, which I do not think is necessary. Postal voting generally has not worked out abroad, particularly in Belgium and France where they have had considerable difficulty with it.
