Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because the Minister of State has responded to much of what I spoke about in my initial contribution. We have had a very good, informed and engaging discussion today, but I have a few follow-up questions. I am interested to know if the Minister of State is confident that the budget is going to be enough for this. I also have a suggestion on the voter education piece, which will be a major part of this. Many people still struggle with our system of the single transferable vote. There is a good opportunity here for us to carry out an information campaign not only in schools but also through the media on what the single transferable vote system means. I am sure other politicians get this all the time, whereby one meets people who say, "I gave you a vote", and one feels the person is not necessarily sure as to how the person voted himself or herself in the system. I believe this is a good opportunity for us. It is very complex, but is something everybody should be aware of. The vote is one of the most important things one can do so it important that everybody knows exactly how they are casting their vote and how it works.

The future-proofing of this Bill has arisen repeatedly in the contributions we have heard today. It is a very important aspect. This Bill has great potential to transform how we do things, so it is important that we are doing this in a way that is forward looking and that as things continue to modernise we can adapt and flex to go with that. I am seeking the Minister of State's reassurance that this Bill will have that capability.