This is important consolidating legislation, bringing together a number of electoral Acts and regulations that have been in operation for a number of years. It may be prophetic that this Bill is reaching the end of Second Stage at a time when the climate is such that it may have to be put into effect.
I listened with interest to the other contributions about the general and practical measures that have been in operation over a number of elections. The advent of computers in local authorities has resulted in a more legible register of electors being available and each polling station now has the register pertaining to it. The Bill contains a recommendation for supplementary amendments to the register so that those who are unfortunately left off the register will have the opportunity to have their names included. In that context it is important that we consider the introduction of a broadly based civics programme in our schools.
A great number of young people who are entitled to vote and whose names appear on the register of electors do not bother to do so. This may be because of a lack of interest in the political system, in the candidates or because of a lack of understanding of what the political system is about. It might be appropriate that we should look at this question again. There may be inherent difficulties from the point of view of the teaching staff and their unions as to the content of such a programme. However, it is an important matter because at election after election young people pass the polling stations while their more elderly counterparts go in to vote.
We must also face the problem of single seat constituencies. On numerous occasions I have had to travel with my ministerial colleagues to various functions prior to elections. Some of these functions were 50 or 60 miles apart. I can recall on one occasion attending a public meeting about the development of a pier on the west coast in Belmullet and subsequently travelling some 80 miles eastwards to another political function in Ballinrobe on the same night. That meant that as an Opposition Deputy I had to follow two State cars across the constituency. This makes a mockery of the ability of legislators to do the job they are supposed to do. There is certainly merit in looking again at the question of single seat constituencies in the context of proportional representation.
Everybody concerned agrees on the banning of advertising outside polling stations. The electorate are made sufficiently aware through local radio, the national media and so on of what the parties are offering and who the candidates are. I agree with the proposal to abolish advertising by political parties and independent candidates in the immediate area of polling stations. Whether it can be controlled to within 50 metres is another matter. Many rural and urban polling stations are situated at the end of long and narrow entrances which may be in excess of 50 metres. The concept of banning advertising within 50 metres of a polling station should be extended to a total ban. With the streamlining of effort over the past number of years most political parties and politicians would favour the use of major hoarding advertising in strategic locations throughout the constituencies to get their message across.
With the change in polling stations it is necessary that there be a clear indication to the public of the location of the new polling stations. These are sometimes changed at short notice and people who may be new to an area may not know where they are. They should be indicated on the polling cards sent to voters because invariably would-be voters have to approach public representatives or their agents on election day to find out where the polling stations are. There should be some way of indicating clearly to people, in particular those in urban areas, where their polling station is.
There has been some discussion about the reduction in the number of polling stations. This can have a serious effect, particularly in rural areas, because of the drop in the number of people generally due to emigration and so on. If polling stations are reduced in number people might have to travel a considerable distance to cast their vote. In those circumstances the elderly or infirm might not be inclined to travel. I recognise the need to centralise polling stations to an extent but this should be tempered with reason. Anybody who has the right to vote should not have to travel an excessive distance to do so. The abolition of small polling stations in the west, for example, might mean the elderly people would have to travel up to 15 miles to cast their vote and their inclination would be not to do so, depending on the time of the election and the weather obtaining on the day.
The removal of agents and party activists from the vicinity of polling stations is to be welcomed. This is a major social change for many of the more experienced party activists. It will have the beneficial effect of doing away with the near intimidation of voters at election time. I recall last year travelling through a small town in the west during local elections and seeing a Member of the Oireachtas — I will not say from which House — on seeing an elderly lady with her shopping, sprinting after her like Carl Lewis and enveloping this poor lady in a bear hug to attract her vote, whereupon she dropped half her shopping. The over enthusiasm of party activists and the emotional state of contestants can lead to intimidation of voters at election time.
One has to understand that practically every person whose name appears on the register of electors will cast their vote in the way they had originally intended and will not be swayed by appearances, posters, literature, name calling or hint dropping on the way in to a polling station, although it may have a minor effect in terms of the other choices to be made. That is why I support the proposal that crowds of party activists should not be active in the vicinity of polling stations.
I am not sure how this will operate in practice. It may be that the next election will be fought under the existing system and that this Bill may not have completed Committee Stage when we are forced to go to the country again. If that proves to be the case, another Government may have to implement it.
Having said that, a case can be made for State funding of political parties. This should only be given where parties can prove that their financial affairs are in order and that such State funds would be used for the benefit of their party, be it for research or organisational activities. Members of both Houses put an incredible amount of time and effort into raising finance at local and regional level weekly. Members are elected to this House to do a job and to reflect the opinions of the people who elected them but very often they are forced to operate as part-time ticket sellers and fund raisers which ultimately leads to people being turned off when it comes to politics.
The question of State funding, based on certain criteria and conditions, should be examined. During the past number of years the major political parties in the face of financial problems, have streamlined their procedures in relation to the money they spend at election time because as I said previously, the electoral process has become very expensive.
This legislation is important in the sense that it consolidates previous legislation and regulations in one Bill. It makes an attempt to modernise the electoral process. Given that the electorate are astute and aware politically, the Bill also attempts to remove old habits and traditions which have no relevance in the nineties. For this reason the Bill should be welcomed. When it is implemented, amendments may have to be introduced because we may not have foreseen some of the practical difficulties. Some of these difficulties will be teased out on Committee Stage but one can never predict with certainty what effect general legislation will have. This legislation, which attempts to streamline and modernise the electoral process will affect every Member of this House.
Other countries introduced a system of electronic voting. However, it has always been a feature of the electoral process in this country that the tally men appear from nowhere on the day of the count and make an accurate prediction, in some cases before the computers have started to work. I suppose in time that this tradition will die out.
Be that as it may, it is very important that we consider introducing a broadly based civics programme in our schools to highlight the importance of people casting their votes. Every effort should be made to ensure that those who are eligible to vote are included on the register of electors and are encouraged to cast their vote. They should have freedom of choice and be allowed to enter and leave polling stations without being harassed or intimidated by individuals or party activists. I welcome the Bill.