Electoral_Reform_Act_2022

Electoral Reform Act 2022

Electoral Reform Act 2022

Irish law establishing Electoral Commission and other electoral reforms

The Electoral Reform Act 2022 is a law of Ireland which amended electoral law and provided for the establishment of an electoral commission titled An Coimisiún Toghcháin (The Electoral Commission).

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2021 draft bill

Negotiations after the February 2020 general election led to the formation in June of a Fianna Fáil–Fine Gael–Green coalition, whose programme for government promised an electoral commission by the end of 2021.[1] Malcolm Noonan was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform.[2]

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage produced the general scheme of an Electoral Reform Bill, which was approved by the cabinet on 30 December 2020[3] and published on 8 January 2021.[4] The scheme was submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny to an Oireachtas Joint Committee, which had public meetings with invited parties between 23 January and 22 June and issued its report in August.[5]

The draft bill [3] sought both to modernise the electoral register and to establish an electoral commission with seven to nine members and a permanent staff.[6] The establishment provisions are modelled on the Policing Authority established in 2015.

The commission would comprise:[7]

The commission's staff would be members of the Civil Service of the State, with a Chief Executive recommended by the Commission for Public Service Appointments.[8]

The Electoral Reform Bill 2022 was published and introduced to the Dáil on 30 March 2022.[9][10] Its second reading was on 5–7 April, whereupon it was referred to the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for committee stage, held on 31 May and 1 June.[10][11] The bill completed remaining Dáil stages on 15 June, and Seanad stages on 21 and 30 June and 6 and 7 July.[10] The Dáil accepted the Seanad amendments on 13 July,[12] and the bill was signed into law by the President on 25 July.[13][14]

References

  1. [1]
    "Programme For Government — Our Shared Future". DocumentCloud. June 2020. p. 120. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  2. [2]
    Bray, Jennifer; Kelly, Fiach; Leahy, Pat (1 July 2020). "Full line up of junior ministers unveiled as Taoiseach accused by one TD of snub". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  3. [3]
    O'Halloran, Marie (30 December 2020). "Election regulator on horizon as Government approves proposals". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  4. [4]
    Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 January 2021). "Ministers O'Brien and Noonan publish the General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill". Gov.ie. Government of Ireland. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  5. [5]
    JCHLGH (August 2021) pp. 4–7; McQuinn, Cormac. "Government TDs concerned new law is not enough to regulate online political ads". The Irish Times. No. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  6. [6]
    Palese, Michela (12 January 2021). "An independent Electoral Commission for Ireland — A step forward for democracy". London: Electoral Reform Society. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  7. [7]
    DHLGH 2021 Heads 5, 6
  8. [8]
    DHLGH 2021 Heads 15, 19, 20
  9. [9]
    Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 March 2022). "Significant Modernisation of Ireland's Electoral System to be delivered under Electoral Reform Bill". www.gov.ie (Press release). Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Electoral Reform Bill 2022 – No. 37 of 2022". Bills. Oireachtas. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  11. [11]
  12. [12]
    "Electoral Reform Bill: From the Seanad". Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil) debates. Oireachtas. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. [13]
    Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (13 July 2022). "Ministers mark completion of Electoral Reform Bill as it passes through Houses of the Oireachtas" (Press release). Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  14. [14]
    "President Higgins signs the Electoral Reform Bill 2022". president.ie. 25 July 2022.
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