Meath by-election polling hours
Brian Stanley asks the Taoiseach to extend polling in the Meath by-election until 10 p.m., arguing that midweek hours disenfranchise shift workers, commuters and students; the Ceann Comhairle rules the matter out of order.
I asked the Taoiseach about the Constitutional Convention and any electoral reform he may have planned. The people of Meath go to the polls tomorrow and the Taoiseach has sawed two hours off the voting day, held it in midweek-----
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The Deputy is out of order. We are not talking about tomorrow's by-election. The Deputy will not get an answer and should not waste his breath.
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-----and has gone away from the practice of holding it on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the case of referendums. The Taoiseach is denying 12-hour shift workers, commuters and students. These people cannot vote. They are denied the opportunity to vote and I appeal to the Taoiseach at the 11th hour to open the polling stations until 10 p.m. The Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, did this on 6 March-----