McGrath Raises Concerns Over Advisory Board of the Electoral Commission Appointments

Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath is raising concerns about appointments to the Advisory Board of the Electoral Commission. The Commission is a new state body to oversee voting, elections, the electoral register, misinformation and campaign finance issues on an ongoing basis. 

The Commission is not fully established or resourced at present with some legislation to govern its operations yet to be passed by the Oireachtas. Deputy McGrath is concerned that some of the appointees to the Advisory Board which were confirmed last week are currently campaigning for specific vote in the March 8^th Referendum.

The leader of the Rural Independents Group of TDs says the Commission’s move to appoint ‘Yes’ campaigners to their research advisory board during the current referendum campaign undermines the Commission’s claimed impartiality and the very foundation of Ireland’s hard-won democracy.

Among the 13 members appointed, three are from taxpayer-funded NGOs including Orla O’Connor from the National Women’s Council of Ireland . Deputy McGrath  says making the appointments so close to the Referendums may cause concerns over the integrity and neutrality of the electoral process.

As well as providing for a number of stakeholder representatives and an international member, the Commission invited expressions of interest in filling four academic/ expert positions on the Research Advisory Group.

The full membership of the Group is as follows:

• Professor Emerita Caroline Fennell, Professor Emerita of Law, University College Cork, member of An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Chair)
• Dr Nuala Connolly, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission 
• Dr Pauline Cullen, Associate Professor of Sociology and Politics in the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University
• Professor Kate Dommett, Professor of Digital Politics in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield
• Professor David Farrell, Professor of Politics in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin
• Professor David Kenny, Professor in Law at Trinity College Dublin
• Brian Killoran, CEO Immigrant Council of Ireland
• Adam Lambe, Youth Representative
• Dr. Patricia McCarthy, Sociologist & Disability Advocate, Trinity College Dublin
• Orla O’Connor, Director, National Women’s Council
• Dr. Brigid Quilligan, Traveller Activist
• Dr Paul Redmond, Economic and Social Research Institute
• Niklas Wilhelmsson, Department for Democracy & Public Law, Ministry of Justice, Finland