Centralise Electoral Register

The State could save money if it centralised the Electoral Register, according to local Fine Gael TD, James Bannon.

It was estimated that it cost nearly €6m to address the errors contained in the Register during the last General Election, because of the piecemeal nature of the data retrieval and maintenance in each constituency.

Deputy Bannon's reforms for the Register are contained in a private members' motion, put before his party's parliamentary party meeting held earlier this week (July 13 ).

If adopted, it will be presented to the Dail in early autumn.

“It consists of a full overview of the electoral process in Ireland but the main focus is currently on the Electoral Register and the revising and maintenance of it,” said Deputy Bannon.

“The current administration of the electoral system was piecemeal and lacking a cohesive approach.”

The motion highlights the need for a single body to foster the integrity of, and the public confidence in the electoral process.

“We recognise the importance of having one over-arching body responsible for the compilation of the Electoral Register, such as the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Northern Ireland or the Electoral Commission in the UK,” he said.

He quotes €2.7m as the annual cost of the NI office, with a similar amount spent in the running of its elections and compares this favourably with the €6m required to tidy up the Registers after the 2007 hustings.

“We support the use of PPS numbers to ensure accuracy and a new version should be published each year,” he said.

 

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