12 September 2024 – An Coimisiún Toghcháin has today published its decision under Section 51of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 in an appeal of a decision of the Registrar of Political Parties (‘the Registrar’).

The appeal by Mr James Reynolds challenged the decision made by the Registrar under Section 50 of the Electoral Reform Act, which refused his application to amend the particulars in the Register of Political Parties for the purposes of  Section 47 (c) (registered address) and Section 47(d) (authorised officers) of the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

The appeal was dismissed for the reasons set out in the decision of the Board of An Coimisiún Toghcháin. The Board was not satisfied that reasonable notice was given of the relevant meeting of the Party’s National Directorate, and that the resolutions made at that meeting were therefore not validly made. 

Under Section 51(4) of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 the decision of An Coimisiún Toghcháin is final.

– ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Engagement Manager,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

The decision of the Board of An Coimisiún Toghcháin is available at the following link: https://cdn.electoralcommission.ie/app/uploads/2024/09/12150312/An-Coimisiun-Toghchain-Decision-12092024-2.pdf

The registration of political parties

• The registration of political parties function held by An Coimisiún Toghcháin is set out in Chapter 6 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022.
• The Registrar of Political Parties is the chief executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Mr. Art O’Leary.
• Parties can apply to be registered as a party organised in the State to contest Dáil, European or local elections. To be registered they must meet the criteria set out in legislation.
• More information on the registration process, and the necessary application forms are available on the Commission’s website at https://www.electoralcommission.ie/what-we-do/electoral-operations/

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is a statutory, independent body, established on 9 February 2023 with responsibility for a broad range of electoral functions set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An Coimisiún is central to Ireland’s electoral system, carrying out a range of existing electoral functions, including:

• responsibility for the registration of political parties, and for the preparation and maintenance of the Register of Political Parties.
• the decision-making, oversight, secretariat and supporting services associated with explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, the promotion of public awareness of referendums and encouragement of the electorate to vote at referendum polls.
• the conducting of reviews and making reports in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to the Dáil and the election of members to the European Parliament; and
• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries.

An Coimisiún is also tasked in the Electoral Reform Act with several new electoral roles, including:

• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government.
• promoting public awareness of, and working to increase public participation in the State’s electoral and democratic processes through education and information programmes;
• overseeing the modernised Electoral Register, making recommendations and setting standards in relation to its maintenance and updating;
• responsibility of the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements which have been purchased to run during the period of an election or referendum campaign;
• responsibility for the investigation and monitoring of online disinformation, online misinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour online during election campaign periods, as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online.
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events.

It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.