COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, September 09, 2013
QUESTION NO.21
QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy
To ask the Manager to report on measures being taken to ensure the maximum registration of eligible voters for the upcoming referendum on the future of Seanad Éireann?
REPLY:
The upcoming Referendum on the Abolition of Seanad Éireann will take place on 4th October 2013 together with the Referendum on the Court of Appeal. The current Register of Electors 2013/14 came into force on 15th February 2013 and will be used for the Referendums in October. Every elector who is registered as an Irish citizen is entitled to vote. A supplement to the Register of Electors is prepared in advance of an election or referendum to accommodate those electors who are not registered and this is ongoing at the moment. Any person who is an Irish citizen, ordinarily resident in the constituency and 18 years or over on polling day is eligible to apply for inclusion on the supplement.
As well as preparing a supplement to the Register, the preparation of the Draft Register of Electors 2014/15 is also underway. The fieldworkers commenced their door-to-door enquiries in June. Information gathered at the door and supplied on Register application forms (RFA) is being used to update next year's Register. In anticipation of the Referendums the fieldworkers have been instructed to inform the householder about the preparation of the Supplement and the necessity to apply for inclusion if not already registered. Each fieldworker carries a supply of supplement application forms (RFA2/3) to facilitate the elector. If there is no reply at the door a note of information regarding the supplement is left at the house together with the RFA form for next year's register.
Electors who are currently registered as Local, European or Dail and who have returned information stating that they are now Irish citizens are contacted regarding their entitlement to vote. The Council website carries information regarding the supplement and highlights the closing dates for the October referendums which are:
9th September for inclusion on the supplement to postal and special voters list;
17th September for receipt of RFA2/3 supplement applications forms.
A supplement information poster together with copies of the Register of Electors is circulated in February each year to post offices, garda stations, libraries and council offices.
The four Dublin Local Authorities in partnership with New Communities Partnership secured European Integration Funding to Promote the Civic Participation of Third Country Nationals through Local Authority Platforms. One of the objectives of this project was to encourage new citizens to engage fully with Ireland's civic and political processes, including through voting in elections. To this end we developed a leaflet (copy attached) which is now included in the documentation new citizens receive on being issued with their Naturalisation Certificate.