Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 4

Written Answers. - Postal Votes.

Pádraic McCormack

Ceist:

20 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps, if any, he will take in future to ensure that third-level students living away from home will be facilitated with postal votes. [16101/97]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

Under section 63 of the Electoral Act, 1997, registration authorities are required to enter in the postal voters' list the name of every elector who applies to be so entered and satisfies the authority that the circumstances of the electors' occupation, service or employment are such as to render it likely that he or she will be unable to go in person on polling day to vote at the polling place for the polling district. The closing date for entry in the postal voters' list is 25 November prior to the coming into force of the register of electors.

The Act specifically provides that the terms "service" and "employment" include participation by a student in a full-time course of study in an educational institution in the State.

The 1997 Act also amended the Electoral Act, 1992 to provide that an elector who qualifies for entry in the postal voters' list but who is not entered in the postal voters' list may apply for entry in a supplement to the list at any time during the currency of the relevant register of electors. Applications for entry in the supplement to the postal voters' list must be received on or before the date of the dissolution of the Dáil in the case of a general election, and on or before the date of the order appointing polling day in the case of any other poll in order to have effect for the poll in question.