COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 13, 2010

QUESTION NO.3

QUESTION: Councillor S. Crowe

To ask the Manager will the proposed changes in relation to polling stations as recommended and agreed by this Local Authority be in operation for the next election?

REPLY:

A number of circumstances have given rise to changes to the Register of Electors., including the 2008 Local Electoral Area review and the subsequent making of the COUNTY OF SOUTH DUBLIN LOCAL ELECTORAL AREAS ORDER 2009.   Some changes were enforced due to the new constituency boundaries and others were made to improve voting arrangements than those already in place for some electors. A number of physical ground conditions and natural boundaries have also had impact. 

During the preparation of the Polling Scheme a number of meetings were held with Councillors and the County Sheriff. The Sheriff agreed where possible, to accommodate the Council’s requests for Polling Stations.   Members were advised in the course of later debate on the Polling Scheme where the Sheriff did not consider it feasible to accommodate their  requests. 

The Polling Scheme which was adopted by the Council at it’s meeting on the 13th September 2010 will be in use from 15th February 2011 and any changes to Polling Places will take effect from that date. The Polling Scheme can only nominate“Polling Place” and this is the area within which the Electors will be accommodated to vote.  The actual building or Polling Station which will be used on polling day is determined by the County Sheriff and these buildings do not form part of the Council's Polling Scheme.  

A meeting was recently held with the Sheriff to receive an update on progress with implementation of South Dublin County Council's recommendations to change / relocate polling stations well in advance of the imminent general election.  It appears that the recommendations which could be facilitated have been facilitated in the Sheriff's Polling Scheme which is curently being finalised.    Confirmation of these changes will be made available once the Sherriff has completed his scheme, and details of these new locations will be well publicised when Polling Cards are issuing to the electors affected by such changes.