David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this Topical Issue and the Minister of State for being here to address it. The need to extend the provision of postal voting to individuals who may be away on polling day for whatever reason is of significant importance to our democracy. This proposal aims to ensure that all citizens can exercise their democratic right, even when personal commitments necessitate their absence from their area or even the country on election day. I came across this issue during the recent elections. People were very disappointed that they were away and could not vote. They were on holidays or away for another reason.

In examining the issue, we can draw valuable insights from other democracies that have successfully implemented similar measures. The UK, for instance, offers postal voting to anyone who is away for work, holidays or other reasons. Citizens simply need to apply for a postal vote in advance, ensuring they can participate in the electoral process regardless of their location on polling day. Australia has also embraced a robust system of postal voting. Australians who are travelling or temporarily overseas during an election can apply for a postal vote, guaranteeing their voices are heard in national and local elections.

The simplicity and efficiency of this system has been praised for enhancing voter turnout and inclusivity. Voter turnout is another issue because voter turnout is low if people are away because they then obviously cannot vote.

Similarly, in New Zealand, postal voting is provided to individuals who are unable to vote in person due to travel or various other circumstances. Their system is designed to be user-friendly and accessible in ensuring that it does not disenfranchise citizens in so doing.

In these examples we see a common trait. There is a commitment to ensure that all citizens can participate in the democratic process regardless of their circumstances on polling day. I would argue that it is time for Ireland to follow suit.

Currently, our postal voting system is limited to specific groups such as students, people with disabilities, and those in certain professions like diplomats and members of the Defence Forces. While these provisions are commendable, they do not cover the broader spectrum of citizens who may be temporarily away on polling day. This gap in our electoral system needs to be addressed.

Consider the impact on our citizens who have plans to travel, particularly in today’s globalised world. Many of our fellow citizens are required to travel for education, or family commitments and so on. By not providing a means for them to vote while they are away, we are effectively disenfranchising a portion of our electorate. This is neither fair nor reflective of a modern democracy that values the participation of all its citizens.

Moreover, the ability to vote by post would be especially beneficial during unforeseen circumstances. The recent global pandemic has underscored the importance of flexible voting options. By expanding postal voting, we would not only enhance accessibility but also future-proof our electoral system against any such disruptions.

To implement this change, we must ensure a secure and efficient postal voting process. This involves clear guidelines for application, deadlines to ensure timely delivery and robust measures to prevent fraud. The experiences of the UK, Australia, and New Zealand demonstrate that with proper planning and safeguards, a postal voting system can be both secure and effective.

In conclusion, I urge the Minister and colleagues to consider the benefits of extending postal voting to those who are away on polling day, in particular for those who are on holidays. Let us strengthen our democracy, ensuring that every citizen, regardless of his or her location on election day, can participate in shaping our nation's future.

We are aware that if students are away from home while attending college they can register at their home address or students residential addresses, which measure is already there. There are other areas which I mentioned earlier where people can actually vote. We have anonymous voter registration now, which is an addition and benefit, as well as pending electoral lists if one is 16 or 17 years of age. We have, therefore, been making changes over the years to the system. We also have postal voting and special voting lists due to illness and disability or if people are in hospices or nursing homes. I think that this is something that should be considered. It is working in other jurisdictions and there is no reason why it should not work in Ireland and I urge the Minister of State and his colleagues to have a look at this in time, perhaps, for the next outing at the polls or the one after that.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, which I hope is acceptable to Deputy Stanton. As this is something in which I have a strong personal interest, I am particularly delighted to be taking this matter, which I believe is a very worthwhile contribution. It was particularly noticeable in recent local and European elections that the date for those elections was obviously set, essentially, by the European Parliament and that these elections took place two weeks later in the calendar than they did five years ago. That brought these elections into June where the leaving certificate examinations had already got under way, many secondary schools had broken up for the summer and the holiday season is very much upon us. That was so apparent that at first glance, the turnout for these local and European elections was down on five years ago. A lot of that is down to the sheer fact that so many people were already away.

For the interest of the debate, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I wish to lay out the exact provisions under electoral law where postal voting is allowed at the moment. Deputy Stanton has already alluded to them and they include: whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda Síochána; Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses or civil partners; electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability; electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day; full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State; prisoners; certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside; and anonymous voters, whose safety, or that of a member of their household, is compromised by publication of their details on the electoral register.

The Electoral Reform Act 2022 extended existing postal voting facilities previously only available to persons with physical health difficulties, to persons with mental health difficulties. A voter’s certifying medical practitioner no longer needs to provide the nature of the voter’s illness or disability. They can now indicate an expected duration, which the registration authority will have regard to when assigning a postal voting arrangement. This means that for those postal voters with longer-term or ongoing health difficulties, annual renewal will not be required.

The Electoral Reform Act 2022 also included provisions for the establishment of an independent, statutory Electoral Commission, An Coimisiún Toghcháin. An coimisiún has been given a new research function, through which it will conduct research on electoral policy and procedure.

The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future contains a commitment to examine the use of postal voting, with a view to expanding its provision. In support of this commitment, my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, wrote to an coimisiún in July 2023, outlining a number of issues that an coimisiún might include in its initial research programme. This included the programme for Government’s commitment relating to postal voting.

An coimisiún’s draft research programme 2024-26, published on 10 November 2023, included a proposal to examine the issue of postal voting. I understand that an coimisiún's finalised research programme will be published in the coming weeks. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will review this policy area once an coimisiún has considered it and made recommendations on the issue itself.

In the brief minute of speaking time remaining to me, the examples which Deputy Stanton has given of international practice in this regard are interesting. Australia, of course, has mandatory voting like Belgium and other countries, so it is slightly askew, or one can be financially penalised if one does not vote, but there are other European jurisdictions which have moved, not just into a wider use of postal voting, but also of online voting. In Estonia and other countries we can see where people can vote online. We also see the opportunity being given in the UK for people to hold onto their postal vote for a considerable time, particularly if they are living abroad for any reason, which does not have to be for work. Today I think, also, is the last day for our friends in Northern Ireland to register for a postal vote ahead of their general election on 4 July. It is, of course, in practice in many other jurisdictions and from a personal point of view I would absolutely support Deputy Stanton's recommendations and I look forward to the commission's report.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his thoughtful response and his own personal commitment to work in this area. It is of great importance that it is moved forward as soon as possible. People are extraordinarily disappointed because they see themselves being disenfranchised if they cannot actually vote. People are paying their taxes and are working and raising their families here and just because they are away on holidays, or for whatever other reason as the Minister of State has alluded to, we should put these arrangements in place. The examples, as I have mentioned, of the UK, Australia, and New Zealand clearly demonstrate that with the implementation of stringent measures and clear guidelines, this can be done. These countries established secure systems that ensure the integrity of the vote while providing accessibility to all eligible citizens.

Furthermore, our current postal voting system for specific groups has already set a precedent. We have proven that we can run a secure and efficient postal voting system. Expanding this to include citizens who are temporarily away is a natural progression, not an unprecedented leap. By learning from the best practices of other democracies, we can tailor our system to mitigate any potential risks.

This will not add much to the administrative burden either because it is already in place because, as we know, we already have postal voting in place. As the Minister of State has said, modern technology can also streamline the application and verification process making it manageable and efficient. With proper handling and the allocation of resources, this can be done. Other democracies have managed it and I have also come across the system of proxy voting in some instances which, perhaps, we should also look at.

I am delighted that the commission is working on this. If the senior Minister wrote to the commission a year ago and it is now that it is actually responding, this demonstrates that it takes a long time to get anything done in this country. I am not sure whether or not it will be possible to have this done for the next general election, which we do not know will happen perhaps in either the autumn or the spring, but I would hope that the Minister of State, his colleagues and the commission would move to ensure that that would be the situation.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Stanton. The issue of proxy voting is one on which I would personally have a mild concern but I have no issue at all with postal voting because there is an opportunity for all Deputies. We are all practitioners of and fundamentally cherish democracy. We spend our time not just in this Chamber but in going out to schools, community groups and other organisations to encourage people to vote, regardless of who they vote for, and it does not have to be for ourselves. We should therefore be facilitating the greatest level of access to democracy. Much has been done and there has been much improvement in allowing people to have that full access to ensure that they have their democratic right to vote. Of course, so much more can be done. The research the commission will be delivering in the next couple of weeks will define what the next step is for postal voting.

In some regards, perhaps we do not have to wait for the next couple of weeks because Deputy Stanton, is convener of the parliamentary friendship group with Canada, which is another country which has postal voting. All of us are lucky to engage with parliamentarians from other jurisdictions which have this.

There is a chance for groups who are interested in this, both in this House and in the Seanad, to come together to see how can we explore what is being done in other jurisdictions, as has already been laid out so eloquently by Deputy Stanton, where this is working and how can we take the report that will come and make sure that a rapid response is delivered, because Deputy Stanton is correct that it takes far too long to get certain things done in this country, particularly when it comes to democracy and the functioning of the State.

There is an opportunity, hopefully, to get this done before the general election. I genuinely believe that is there.

It strikes me that people who have booked a holiday before an election is called are robbed of their democratic mandate. We all know the anecdotal evidence of people who left these shores four or five years ago who come home to vote in breach of the Electoral Act but yet the people who are always here to vote who are very much participating in our society and our economy, only by the sheer fluke of timing, do not get that opportunity. Therefore, I look forward to the report and working with Deputy Stanton to further this with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien.