01 November 2024 –  An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission has welcomed the decision to remove Ireland’s 24-hour election broadcast moratorium ahead of this year’s general election.

The decision was issued today by Coimisiún na Meán.

In its review of the information campaign on the Family and Care Referendums in July, An Comisiún Toghcháin recommended that the broadcast moratorium be removed setting out that “At a time when online media and social media is so prevalent, these guidelines are now anomalous and open to potential exploitation. An Coimisiún recommends that the broadcast moratorium is removed from the guidelines for radio and television broadcasters before the next electoral event.”

Mr Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of the An Coimisiún Toghcháin, stated:

“Our voter surveys show that in the recent European elections over a quarter (28%) of voters turned their minds to elections in the 24 hours before polling day and therefore it makes sense to allow voters to access the full range of media, including broadcast media which, from the data, remains a critical and trusted source of information for those who intend to vote”

Among its functions, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, is tasked with building awareness of Ireland’s elections and increasing the numbers of people voting through education and information campaigns.

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For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Engagement Manager, 

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

086 0749344 Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie 

Editor’s Note:

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;
• 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;
• the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements during the period of an election or referendum campaign; (Legislation not yet commenced); and
• 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. (Legislation not yet commenced).

An Coimisiún is also tasked with several new electoral roles, including:

• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries;
• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government;
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events;
• 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; and
• 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.

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