Extra 500,000 names on electoral register, says Roche

ENVIRONMENT Minister Dick Roche yesterday conceded that there up to 500,000 extra names on the electoral register and that the problem will not be fully resolved in time for next year’s General Election.

However, Mr Roche disagreed with the view of an expert in the area, Odran Flynn, that 700-800,000 false or duplicate names may be on the current register, which was updated last month. He did accept that upwards of 300,000 names are on the register that should not be there.

“There are problems on the voting register and the problems haven’t arisen overnight,” he told RTÉ Radio’s This Week.