A LABOUR PARTY proposal to stop the disclosure of election candidate’s home addresses on ballots was been voted down by government.
The amendment to the Electoral Act was put forward yesterday by party leader Ivana Bacik and proposed that it should no longer be a requirement for the addresses to be disclosed.
Bacik told the Dáil that the matter was a “critical issue” due to concerns rising from threats towards politicians on social media and the far right.
Minister of State for Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan agreed that the issue was important “in light of the concerns that have been raised having particular regard to safety in political life”.
Far-Right protests have demonstrated outside the homes of politicians within the last 12 months, most notably in April outside People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy’s home, where his newborn baby and wife were inside at the time.
In January, fellow-People Before Profit deputy Gino Kenny, a TD for the Dublin Mid-West constituency, said he has received threats that far-right protesters will “come to my home and burn it down” following protests against asylum seekers.
Protestors in Ballyfermot were also said to have “roared obscenities” outside the home of Independent councillor Vincent Jackson, who said he returned to the house last Thursday evening to find his “daughter roaring and crying”.
Bacik said in a statement yesterday that the state need to “encourage more people into politics and to address the barriers that prevent people from entering electoral politics”.
Noonan said the Electoral Commission - An Coimisiún Toghcháin – that it has plans to research the issue further in its 2024-2026 programme and indicated this week that it would research the matter further if it was instructed to do so.
He added that the Minister for Local Government Darragh O’Brien has also “signalled that he would welcome research on this matter suggesting alternatives to the use of postal addresses”.
Bacik said: “We are disappointed that Government decided to vote against this much needed measure.”
The Labour Party leader said the electoral commission should have the power to change the provisions instead of making recommendations after research.
Noonan said: “I met with Women for Election some weeks ago and gave commitments in relation to this. There is instruction that can be given to returning officers in relation to the postal address.”
He added that he would be “more than happy” to circulate a note to Bacik and other deputies on his commitments.
Noonan laid out that he wanted the legislation to pass through quickly and did not want the scope of the bill – the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 – to be extended.
Bacik said: “Unfortunately, due to the failure of this Government to tackle the far right and to ensure sufficient safeguards to protect the safety of those who wish to put themselves forward for public office, we know that potential candidates for all parties are fearful of putting their home addresses into the public record. Who could blame them?
The publishing of postal or home addresses is a huge issue often raised by prospective candidates, particularly women candidates.”
Bacik said people are “afraid that having this information made publicly available may leave them vulnerable in their homes”.
The Journal has contacted the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for comment.
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