The Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Joe Whelan, has this week called for a review of operation and procedures used to compile the Register of Electors.
Speaking this week, Cllr Whelan stated that he had met a number of people who were removed from the register without their consent. He also met a couple whose designation as Irish citizens was changed without their knowledge.
The procedure that is followed in removing someone from the register is that following receipt of a form, a letter is sent to the people concerned confirming that they should be removed. This creates a difficulty when the person has moved to a new area as the letter will not reach them unless they have instructed An Post to forward their mail.
“To be registered on the Supplementary Register a Garda must sign the form but it appears it is a lot easier to have someone removed from the register,” he said. How someone could have their nationality designated British without their knowledge is also a cause of concern for Cllr Whelan.
“There needs to be a serious look at the operation of the Register of Electors and more resources need to be assigned to sorting out this perennial problem. I am disgusted that people could be disenfranchised without their knowledge. Is this a matter for an investigation so that those responsible for removing people for the register should be prosecuted?” he added.
