Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
564. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for electoral reform with regard to enabling persons such as MEPs and permanent representatives who work in EU institutions to be allowed to vote by postal ballot in elections here in view of the fact that this exists in other member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33709/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraPostal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of a number of categories of electors, including:
- Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners which includes a person who is a member of a Permanent Mission of Ireland to an international organisation,
- whole-time members of the Defence Forces,
- members of An Garda Síochána,
- electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability,
- certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside,
- full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State,
- prisoners, and
- electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day.
Any person who is ordinarily resident in the State but has to travel, either within or outside of the State, for work on polling day and, as a result, is unable to attend at the local polling station is eligible to apply to his or her registration authority for inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters list to avail of a postal vote for the election or referendum concerned.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future - commits to the establishment of an Electoral Commission by the end of 2021 and mandates it to examine the use of postal voting, with a view to expanding its provision. Work is progressing on the drafting of the General Scheme of a Bill to legislate for the establishment of the Electoral Commission.
The Programme for Government also commits to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. The Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill has been restored to the Dáil Order Paper and the date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by the Oireachtas.
