Vol. 452 No. 8
154 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment the number of polling stations used in national elections; the number of polling stations which are accessible to wheelchairs; the arrangements, if any, undertaken by his Department and the local authorities to ensure that polling stations are accessible to wheelchairs; and the number of count centres which are accessible to wheelchairs. [8889/95]
Under electoral law, responsibility for the conduct of elections and referenda, including the selection of premises to be used as polling stations and count centres, is vested in returning officers. I have no information on the number of such premises which are accessible to people in wheelchairs.
At each election and referendum, my Department advises returning officers, as far as possible to select for use as polling stations premises which are accessible by persons with disabilities and, where appropriate and practicable, to consider the provision of temporary ramps. Following discussions with the National Rehabilitation Board last year, my Department issued more detailed advice to returning officers in relation to selecting and making polling stations accessible to voters with disabilities.
An elector with a disability who has difficulty in gaining access to his-her own polling station may apply to have his-her vote transferred to a more accessible polling station in the same constituency or local electoral area. An elector who is unable to travel to vote, due to physical disability, may apply for registration as a special voter and vote at home.
