Dick Spring
Ceist:15 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for the Environment when a presidential election will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Presidential Election.
Tomás MacGiolla
Ceist:25 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for the Environment the date on which it is planned to hold the presidential election; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:72 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment the date on which the presidential election is to be held during 1990.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 25 and 72 together.
Under Article 12.3.3º of the Constitution an election for the office of President must take place within the period of 60 days before the expiration of the term of office of the President. This term expires on 2 December 1990. The election must, therefore, be held between 3 October and 2 December next. In the event of the election being contested, the poll will be taken on a day to be appointed by order of the Minister for the Environment. In accordance with section 6 of the Presidential Elections Act, 1937, such an order must be made on or as soon as conveniently may be after 3 October next. No consideration has been given to a possible polling day.
I thank the Minister for the information he has given. Notwithstanding the new Progressive Democrats policy, expressed by the Minister of State, Mary Harney, yesterday, is it the Minister's intention or the intention of the Government to hold local elections on the same date as the presidential election?
Members should be referred to by their appropriate title in the House, be it Deputy, Minister of State or Minister as the case may be.
I apologise to the Chair. I was referring to the Minister of State.
The Deputy has put a separate question. I am aware that there is considerable interest in the matter and I should like to tell the Deputy that under existing law the next local elections are due to be held in June 1990. The year for the holding of local elections may be changed by order made by the Minister and such an order would only have effect if it was approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas.
Deputies Gilmore, Ryan and Shatter rose.
The Deputies have risen like shots from guns.
Is it the Minister's intention to bring before the House an order, pursuant to the Local Elections Act, 1973, to postpone the holding of the local elections in June of this year so as to facilitate those elections being held to coincide with the presidential election? Will the Minister announce the date of the presidential election in reasonable time so that persons who may wish to be candidates are aware of the polling date?
For which election?
For both.
The question deals with the presidential election only.
The Minister invited my question by his response.
That may be so but the Chair is concerned with the subject matter of the question.
The Minister has outlined the position as far as the presidential election is concerned.
Is it to be a national secret whether we will have local elections up to the moment they are to be held? This is a strange way to run a democracy.
Any proposal to hold local elections in a month other than June——
Has to be brought before the House.
Yes. Such a proposal would require amending legislation and the Minister must make an order — this is important — appointing polling day for local elections and the order must be made not later than 28 days before polling day. The Deputy should calm down.
We will have to wait until the middle of May before we know the position. This is a strange way to run a democracy. They do not even stand for that in Eastern Europe any more.
Did I understand the Minister to say that the date for the presidential election will not be announced until after 3 October? Did he say, in response to a question about the local elections, that the only two options now being considered for the holding of local elections are June 1990 or a change of year to 1991? Is the Minister saying that the option of holding the local elections on the same date as the presidential election is not now being considered? Will the Minister now clarify the position?
The Minister said nothing about either of those matters to which the Deputy referred.
The Minister is being squeezed——
But the Minister did say that the term of office of the President expires on 2 December this year. If elections are contested then the polling day would be around mid-November to allow the appropriate time for nominations on the one hand and the arrangements for the new President on the other. Let us not forget that the last contested presidential election was in 1973 so people have forgotten the arrangements. I should say that the election for the successor to the President, if such a contest take place, will have to be within 60 days prior to that date— between 3 October and 2 December.
Will the local elections be held on the same day?
I did not make any comment about that. The Deputy seems to have a fixation about that.
I am trying to adduce that information.
The Minister has a fixation——
How could one have it under existing law when the local elections are due to take place.