THE GOVERNMENT HAS agreed an amendment to the Electoral Act that will remove the disqualification of bankrupts from running for the Dáil.

A government spokesperson said that this was an “essential destigmatisation” of bankrupts in line with the new Personal Insolvency legislation which reduced the term of bankruptcy.

As it stands bankrupts may legally contest local elections, but not Dáil or European elections.

The change should be in place before the May elections.

Last month, bankrupt campaigner Jillian Godsil took a constitutional challenge to run in this year’s European elections.

She said she believed the disqualification is “riddled with anomalies” and, therefore, “irrational, unreasonable and disproportionate”.

Read: Bankrupt Jillian Godsil takes constitutional challenge to run in elections>

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