LAST UPDATE | 15 Nov 2024

BACK IN OCTOBER, Simon Harris told us, “I like elections on a Friday. Friday is a good day to have an election.”

Good for who, Simon? For you? For the candidates? For the turnout statistics?

Because I’ll tell you who it’s not good for. The working parents of the country whose children’s national school will be closed and used as a polling station; yet again. Let’s not forget this is the third time this year we will be going to the polls on a weekday. But Simon says it’s grand. Sure, working parents can just make alternative arrangements, right?

The truth is that in many households around the country, both parents are working outside of the home. Another extra day off school for their young children is another day where at least one parent will have to take it off work.

And before the detractors come pilling in suggesting parents don’t want to look after their own children, don’t embarrass yourself. Ask any parent about getting the luxury of an extra day off to spend with their young children and they’ll say it’s a welcome gift. A day off to have some fun and do nice things with them while they are still young is a privilege. Try making family life work on one salary and come back to me. 

The juggle

Only that’s not what Friday 29 November will be, will it? For most working parents it will likely be another day of utter struggle, calling in every favour in the book to get their children minded for chunks of the day, while they try and juggle working from home, on and off laptops, or smartphones, trying to listen in on calls or answer emails, while trying to be present for their child at the same time. Sounds like the best fun ever, Simon, I literally can’t wait. Almost as fun as the Covid days when the Government illustrated just how much they were willing to ask of working parents when the chips were down.  

The simple fact is, not all working parents can take the day off. Not all children are in two-parent households where one can step in or take the day off. Not all working parents have family or friends they can call on to help with the balancing act. For many working parents, the village is gone. And a Friday to boot. A day when many others in offices will already have booked the day off. A day in the run-up to the festive season which sees many events taking place. One mum told me the 29 November is her local women in business networking event she may now have to miss due to her children being off school.

It begs the question, why does it have to be schools? Why not sports centres, community halls, libraries, or churches? The simple answer is money.

Art O’Leary, the Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, told Morning Ireland this week, that voting taking place in many primary schools is a matter for each constituency’s returning officer.

“We have 5,500 polling stations all around the country and the selection of venues depends on location, access, and cost,” he said, adding “There is no cost for using a State public building.”

Childcare costs

So, the government is not willing to take the hit on this, but they will shell out millions on bike sheds and security huts? What message does that send to the working parents of the country? It all feels a bit confused given the lavish promises being made to us in the various election manifestos.

For example, all the major political parties have backed a move to cap childcare costs at €200 a month per child and €600 per month, per family of more than three children. A very welcome promise, but if it does materialise, what is the fine print? Will it extend to after-school care, and let’s not ignore the elephant in the room that access to childcare services remains a huge issue they have yet to solve?

And finally, Simon, what’s wrong with voting on a Saturday?

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According to Art O’Leary, having elections on a Saturday can lead to turnout being down. He said: “We did [vote on Saturday] for the last general election, turnout dropped by 2%, and 2% of a very large number is a huge number.” What he didn’t mention was that the 2020 elections were also during the start of the Covid pandemic, so maybe other factors played a role on turnout being 62.90%.

Lots of things play a role in turnout by the way, such as the weather, the time of the year, or the actual push made to engage voters to turnout. It’s worth pointing out that 2002’s general election which was held on a Friday had a lower turnout than the 2020 Saturday vote. Also, you’d have to wonder about how accurate turnout data actually is, with a country that has no centralised register.

Hands up if, like me, you’re a grown adult who has a vote in the constituency you now live in, as well as a polling card that arrives without fail at your parent’s address every time? Yep. And like so much of how this country is run, it makes very little practical sense.

Niamh O’Reilly is a freelance writer and journalist.