Fitzpatrick welcomes Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage public meeting to examine electoral arrangements to protect democracy and ballot integrity

Dublin Central Senator Mary Fitzpatrick has welcomed confirmation that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage will invite Dublin City Council, Dublin Sheriff, the Electoral Commission and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to a public meeting to discuss electoral arrangements to protect democracy and ballot integrity.

 

The Joint Committee's public examination of these issues follows after a request made by Senator Fitzpatrick ahead of the Local and European Elections on the 7th June.

 

Senator Fitzpatrick said: "It is welcome that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has agreed to examine the arrangements in place to protect the integrity of the ballot from external and corrupting interference.

 

"All around the world democracy is being rivalled by autocracy. Here, our own democracy is under attack on a daily basis. Various pieces of research have been published recently ahead of the Local and European Elections that show efforts from external actors to undermine our democratic process.

 

"As legislators, we cannot afford to be blasé about this. We need to take threats to our democracy and ballot integrity seriously. There is a responsibility on us all to protect our democracy and ensure it stands up to serve our State.

 

"Specific areas of concern include actors outside the state using social media and digital communications to influence public opinion and voters, voter personation at polling stations, the accuracy of the Register, functionality challenges with www.voter.ie, post-electoral event reporting, the control and regulation of posters and, as recent numerous high-profile events have highlighted, the safety and abuse of candidates.

 

"It is critically important that we discuss these areas of concern with the diligence and integrity that they require and ensure that we have all possible arrangements in place to  protect the integrity of the ballot."