asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends to provide a facility for postal voting for the electorate in the forthcoming Tenth Amendment to the Constitution Bill, 1986.

Under the law as it stands, postal voting is available only to the Garda and members of the Defence Forces.

Legislation to provide for a broader system of postal voting at all elections and referenda is being considered, on the basis that applications to be registered as postal voters would be made by eligible persons when the register of electors was being compiled each year. An extended system, therefore, would not be in operation for the forthcoming referendum.