Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission 2016
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Tithe an Oireachtais An Comhchoiste um Chomhshaol, Cultúr agus Gaeltacht Tuarascáil ón gComhchoiste maidir le Comhchomhairliúchán ar an gCoimisiún Toghcháin Beartaithe, 2016 Eanáir 2016 A leagadh faoi bhráid dhá Theach an Oireachtais 13 Eanáir 2016 ____________________________ Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission 2016 January 2016 Laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas 13 January 2016 31ECG021 ii | P a g e Tithe an Oireachtais An Comhchoiste um Chomhshaol, Cultúr agus Gaeltacht Tuarascáil ón gComhchoiste maidir le Comhchomhairliúchán ar an gCoimisiún Toghcháin Beartaithe, 2016 Eanáir 2016 A leagadh faoi bhráid dhá Theach an Oireachtais 13 Eanáir 2016 ____________________________ Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission 2016 January 2016 Laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas 13 January 2016 31ECG021 Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission © Tithe an Oireachtais 2016 / Houses of the Oireachtas 2016 Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page ii Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission Contents RÉAMHRÁ / PREFACE VII INTRODUCTION 2 Background 2 Outline of this report 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 1) Policy Rationale for establishing an Electoral Commission 6 2) Functions of an Electoral Commission 8 a) Registrar of political parties 8 b) Franchise Section, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government 9 c) Regulation of political funding and election expenditure 10 d) The Referendum Commission 11 e) The functions of Constituency Commission and Local Boundary Committees 12 f) Electoral Register 13 g) The organisation of elections and referendums 16 3) Independence, Membership, Accountability 17 a) Independence 17 b) Membership 17 c) Accountability Mechanisms 20 4) Establishment process 23 5) Costs of an Electoral Commission 24 1. POLICY RATIONALE FOR AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION 26 1.1. Core Policy Rationale 26 1.2. Areas identified as in urgent need of attention 27 1.3. Is it necessary to establish an Electoral Commission to address these issues? 29 1.3.1. Confusing for Voters? 30 1.3.2. No one actor responsible? 31 2. FUNCTIONS OF AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION 32 2.1. Registration of political parties 36 Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page iii Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission 2.2. Policy and operational role of Franchise Section in the Department 36 2.3. Develop and implement policy on voter facilitation measures 38 2.4. Voter education and engagement 39 2.5. Timely (real time) publication of results of elections 41 2.6. Independent research on electoral policy 42 2.7. Other possible functions 43 2.8. Functions of the Referendum Commission 45 2.9. Constituency and Local Boundary Commissions 46 2.10. Political finance – SIPO and local authorities 48 2.11. Electoral Register – Alternative Approaches 50 2.11.1. Commission Responsible for the electoral register 54 2.11.2. Commission Responsible for oversight and reform of the electoral registration system 55 2.11.3. Commission Responsible for electoral policy, oversight and audit 60 2.11.4. PPSN and the Electoral Register 63 2.11.5. Data Protection Issues 64 2.12. The organisation of elections and referendums 66 3. INDEPENDENCE, MEMBERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY 72 3.1. Independence 74 3.2. Membership 75 3.2.1. Who should appoint members? 75 3.2.2. On what basis should members of a Commission be appointed? 76 3.2.3. Full-time or non-executive? 78 3.2.4. Process of selection 79 3.2.5. Membership and involvement of Stakeholder Groups? 81 3.3. Accountability Mechanisms (including Performance Indicators) 87 3.3.1. Financial accountability 90 3.3.2. Non-voted expenditure and accountability 91 3.3.3. Voted expenditure and accountability 92 3.3.4. Performance information 93 3.3.5. Possible Performance indicators for an Electoral Commission 95 4. ESTABLISHMENT 100 4.1. Phased approach 101 4.2. Interim Commission 104 Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page iv Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission 5. COSTS 106 6. COMMITTEE’S CONCLUSIONS 116 6.1. Rationale for Electoral Commission 116 6.2. Functions 116 6.3. Responsibility for Electoral Register 118 6.4. Solutions to problems with Electoral Register 120 6.5. Organising elections 121 6.6. Independence 122 6.7. Membership 123 6.8. Appointment process 124 6.9. Accountability Mechanisms 125 6.9.1. Financial Accountability 126 6.9.2. Non-voted expenditure (Central Fund) 126 6.9.3. Voted expenditure 127 6.10. Establishment process 128 6.11. Costs of an Electoral Commission 129 APPENDIX 1 – SUBMISSIONS AND OPENING STATEMENTS 130 APPENDIX 2 – MEETINGS AND WITNESSES ATTENDING 134 APPENDIX 3 – SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REPORTS 138 APPENDIX 4 – GLOSSARY 140 APPENDIX 5 – ORDERS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE 142 Establishment of the Dáil Select Committee [Order of the Dáil 12 June 2012] 142 Establishment of the Seanad select Committee [Order of the Seanad 12 June 2012] 142 Establishment of the Joint Committee [First meeting 17 July 2012] 142 a. Functions of the Committee – derived from Standing Orders [DSO 82A; SSO 70A] 143 b. Scope and Context of Activities of Committees (as derived from Standing Orders [DSO 82; SSO 70] 146 Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page v Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission APPENDIX 6 – MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE 148 Deputies 148 Senators 148 APPENDIX 7 – LETTER FROM THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 149 APPENDIX 8 LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 154 APPENDIX 9 - ELECTORAL COMMISSION: OVERVIEW OF POLICY RATIONALE (L&RS BRIEFING PAPER FOR THE COMMITTEE) 157 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 160 1. INTRODUCTION 161 2. WHAT POLICY PROBLEMS WOULD THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ADDRESS? 162 3. PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTORAL REGISTER 164 4. ADMINISTRATION OF REFERENDUM CAMPAIGNS 170 5. CONSTITUENCY AND LOCAL AREA BOUNDARIES 171 6. ADVISING AND TAKING ACTION ON POLICY ISSUES IN ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION 173 APPENDIX 1: RESEARCH ON OBSTACLES TO REGISTRATION 174 APPENDIX 2: PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS RELEVANT TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION 175 Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page vi Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission RÉAMHRÁ / PREFACE In Eanáir na bliana 2015 d’fhoilsigh an In January 2015, the Department of the Roinn Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Environment, Community and Local Áitiúil Páipéar Comhairliúcháin maidir le Government published a Consultation Coimisiún Toghcháin a Bhunú in Éirinn. Paper on the Establishment of an Ansin, d’iarr an tAire Comhshaoil, Pobail Electoral Commission in Ireland. The agus Rialtais Áitiúil, Alan Ó Ceallaigh, TD, ar Minister for the Environment, Community an gComhchoiste um Chomhshaol, Cultúr and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD, agus Gaeltacht scrúdú a dhéanamh ar an then requested the Joint Committee on bpáipéar, tabhairt faoi phróiseas Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht comhairliúcháin ina leith agus tuairisc a to examine the paper, to consider thabhairt don Aire maidir le tuairimí an undertaking a consultation process on it, Chomhchoiste i dtaobh na reachtaíochta and to report back to the Minister with it pleanáilte. views on the planned legislation. Rinne an Comhchoiste próiseas The Joint Committee duly conducted a comhairliúcháin phoiblí a sheoladh dá réir public consultation process, which agus fuarthas líon mór aighneachtaí attracted a large number of high quality ardchaighdeáin dá bharr. De bhreis air sin, submissions. It followed that up with a sheol an Comhchoiste sraith éisteachtaí series of public hearings in June and July poiblí i mí an Mheithimh agus i mí Iúil, of this year, in which various 2015, agus tugadh cuireadh do leas- stakeholders and experts were invited to sealbhóirí agus saineolaithe éagsúla address the Joint Committee and inform aitheasc a thabhairt don Chomhchoiste le its deliberations on this very important linn na n-éisteachtaí chun treoir a thabhairt subject. dá chuid pléití ar an ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo. Déantar achoimre sa tuarascáil seo ar an This report summarises the evidence bhfianaise a fuair agus a chuala an received and heard by the Joint Comhchoiste agus leagtar béim ar na Committee, highlighting key issues and saincheisteanna ríthábhachtacha agus ar na policies and actions recommended beartais agus na gníomhartha a moladh i throughout the consultation process. It is rith an phróisis comhairliúcháin. Is ina presented in five sections or themes: the chúig chuid nó théama a leagtar amach rationale for an Electoral Commission; Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Page vii Report of the Joint Committee on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission eolas an tuarascála, mar atá: An functions which should be assigned to an Réasúnaíocht is bun le Coimisiún Electoral Commission; independence, Toghcháin; Feidhmeanna is cóir a shannadh membership and accountability do Choimisiún Toghcháin; Neamhspleáchas, mechanisms; establishment process; and Comhaltas agus Sásraí Cuntasachta; An