Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2012
449 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the duration in advance of elections that polling dates are set for the offshore islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29287/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra450 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the policy of having separate polling dates for the offshore islands is causing difficulties for residents of the islands to obtain postal votes in time for elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29288/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra451 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for having separate polling dates for the offshore islands and his plans to change this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29289/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 451, inclusive, together.
Electoral law provides for advance polling on islands where a returning officer considers that, due to weather conditions or transport difficulties, it would be impracticable either to take the poll on the polling day appointed by the Minister or, if the poll was taken on that day, to deliver the ballot boxes to the count centre in time for the commencement of the count. In the period following the making of the Polling Day Order, it is a matter for the returning officer to consider the need for advance polling on islands. The returning officer is empowered to take the poll on an island on any day during the 5 day period before polling day and is required to give public notice in any polling district concerned.
My Department has suggested, in guidance that issues to returning officers when elections and referendums are being held, that the statutory provisions permitting advance polling on islands should not be used as a matter of course. They should only be used where the returning officer is of the opinion that weather or transport difficulties warrant it. While electoral law is kept under review, I have no proposals to amend the law that facilitates advance polling on islands.
On postal voting, it is open to people registered to vote on islands who, because of their occupation service or employment, are unlikely to be in a position to go in person to vote on polling day to apply to their registration authority for inclusion in the postal voters list or the supplement to that list. I am aware, however, that in certain limited circumstances the short time frame available for making an application for inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters list could give rise to difficulties for island voters. I will give consideration to how arrangements in relation to inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters lists can be improved in the context of the next suitable electoral amendment Bill.
