COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
MOTION NO. 2
MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty
"That this Area Committe request the Chief Executive, in light of the changes proposed to this existing electoral area, works in tandem with Government to make radical changes to the outdated polling scheme whereby residents of Lucan South and Adamstown have had to navigate confusing electoral registers and criss-cross polling stations to vote. The current boundary review provides an opportunity to ensure that people get to vote in local, Dail/European elections and referenda at an accessible polling station close to where they live, with streets and road names on electoral registers that making logical sense rather than estates being split up willy-nilly and newcomer residents especially getting confused as to where they are supposed to vote."
REPORT:
The Minister appointed members to the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee No 2 in December 2017 to review and make recommendations on the division of the local authority areas of Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Council.
The Committee began work in January 2018 and they undertook public consultations, placed advertisements in the national and local press and wrote to
The 31 Cathaoirligh of local authorities.
The 31 Chief Executives of local authorities
Members of the Dail and Seanad
Irish Members of the European Parliament
All registered political parties
With a closing date for submissions of the 19th February 2018 for all the Dublin local authorities.
The report is now finalised and submitted to the Minister for his approval.
The Department have confirmed that the statutory instrument giving effect to the recommendations of the report will be signed in late Summer or early Autumn. Once done the Council can amend the local electoral areas to reflect the changes.
It is also planned that work will continue on the transfer of the register of electors from the current iReg system to Voter.ie which is now in use in the other three Dublin local authorities.
The location of polling stations are considered very carefully as they must take note of the facilities in the area, the availability, the geographic locations as well as the suitability of the premises for the taking of a poll. The areas mentioned in the motion will be examined further following these changes.