Press release
Public consultation on establishment of an electoral commission
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
Eoghan Murphy, T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government together with John Paul Phelan, T.D., Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, today (27 December 2018) launched a public consultation on a Regulatory Impact Analysis on the Establishment of an Electoral Commission.
Launching the public consultation, Minister Murphy said: “While there is significant public trust in our electoral system, the establishment of an independent electoral commission will build on that trust and help bring about better cohesion and coordination to the electoral system thereby improving the administration of elections.”
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht published a report on the establishment of an electoral commission in January 2016. This report contains a series of recommendations regarding the establishment of an electoral commission, including functions which should be assigned to it; independence, membership and accountability mechanisms; and the establishment process.
The Regulatory Impact Analysis puts forward a number of options as to how an electoral commission would be established including the functions that might be assigned to it. These options have regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
On the public consultation process, Minister Phelan said: “All inputs received will be analysed and the content used to inform a preferred option for establishing an electoral commission, which will be brought to Government for consideration. I would therefore urge everyone to participate in our consultation before Friday 15 March 2019.”