Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has called on Minister Simon Coveney to immediately take steps to allow the constitutional rights of visually impaired voters to vote independently by secret ballot. The Sinn Féin TD’s call comes after a ground breaking High Court judgement recently handed down in a case brought by a Dublin man, Robert Sinnott.

Mr. Sinnott argued that the State had been aware, since at least 2011, of a system that would allow him to vote independently by secret ballot and that the continued delay in bringing such as a system forward breached his constitutional rights. The Court found that the State has a duty to provide arrangements that would allow visually impaired people to vote privately and without assistance, where reasonably practicable, and where it’s economically viable.

Crowe believes there is now an onus now on the State to put such arrangements in place before the next election.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“Legislation has been on the statute books for over 20 years which would allow Minister Coveney to introduce regulations to extend to visually impaired voters the right to vote independently by secret ballot. Mechanisms have been available for some time now to allow those with a visual impairment to vote independently and have been available in the North of Ireland for a number of years.

“Like many other disability issues they were not given priority and would still be ignored except for the activism of people like Robert Sinnott.

“A father of two from James’ Street in Dublin, Robert is a member of the Blind Legal Alliance. He was born with severe visual impairment and because of his debilitating condition he expects to be unable to see within four years.

“I want to congratulate him for his persistence and for having brought his case forward, with the support the Free Legal Aid Centre.

“It is a sad reflection on the lack respect shown to people with disabilities that today, 10 years after Ireland signed the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, an Irish citizen has to go to the courts in an effort to force the Government to vindicate their right to vote by secret ballot.

“Citizens like Robert Sinnott currently have to ask the polling station Presiding Officer to complete the ballot paper, which effectively means they are being deprived of their right to a secret ballot. This is unacceptable and I am calling on the relevant Minister, Simon Coveney, to take steps to ensure the constitutional rights of visually impaired voters are respected by establishing a system to allow them to vote independently by secret ballot.”

ENDS