Roche rejects FG Bill for weekend voting

A Fine Gael proposal that elections in the Republic be held at weekends was rejected by Minister for the Environment Dick Roche.

"The truth is that, in attempting to accommodate one group of voters by choosing a particular polling day, another group may be inconvenienced. There will be advantages and disadvantages no matter which day is chosen," he said.

Mr Roche insisted that there was little evidence that the choice of a particular day of the week had a significant impact on voter turnout or that, for example, voting on a Friday produced a higher turnout.

"If we consider turnout data for elections in Ireland over the past 20 years, there are no definitive or clear-cut trends associating turnout with days of the week; indeed, conflicting patterns are evident, as well as ones contrary to the theories the deputies opposite are advancing."

Fine Gael environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd moved the Electoral (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 2007, in Private Members' time, providing for elections to be held on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays.

Mr O'Dowd accused the Government of turning its face away from holding the general election on a day which would allow the largest number of people get involved in the democratic process.

"This Bill seeks to compel the Government to hold an election on a day that is of most benefit to democracy, not just on a day which suits its own purpose. The Taoiseach is on record as saying that he favours Thursday voting for the general election, but he never explained to us why he opposes Friday voting so much when it is perfectly clear that it benefits more voters."

Mr O'Dowd said that there had been a significant increase in turnout in the past when voting was held on a Friday. It was clear that a return to Thursday voting would be motivated by party political concerns and an attempt to disenfranchise thousands of people.

Mr Roche said that the last two general elections, in 2002 and 1997, were held on a Friday and turnouts of 62.6 per cent and 65.9 per cent were recorded respectively.

The previous general election, held on a Wednesday in 1992, had a turnout of 68.5 per cent, while the election on a Thursday in 1989 also had a turnout of 68.5 per cent. On a Tuesday in 1987, it was 73.3 per cent.

Mr Roche said that limiting elections to weekend voting would require careful consideration of a range of factors, including people being away from home, the large numbers employed in the services sector at weekends, possible objections on religious grounds, the likelihood of competition with sporting events and difficulties in recruiting election staff.

He believed, he said, that there was a real need for an ambitious programme of modernisation and reform of the electoral system in Ireland centred around an independent electoral commission.

It might be desirable, he added, to widen the remit of the proposed commission to include responsibility for all aspects of elections.