The Minister for the Environment has said he would like to remove key elements of the Electoral Act 1997, due to come into effect in January. Mr Dempsey said he is opposed to the sections providing for the funding of political parties and £5,000 grants to candidates who manage to retain their deposits.
Mr Dempsey is to formulate proposals and bring them to Cabinet. If they are approved then legislation will be brought forward by the end of the year.
The new legislation could be introduced prior to the two byelections due to take place early next year.
Mr Dempsey, in interviews with Sunday newspapers yesterday, said he did not know what the view of the Progressive Democrats or the Independent deputies would be to his proposals.
He also said he was "absolutely committed" to changing the electoral system from a multi-seat proportional representational system to a single-seat system based on a combination of proportional representation and the list system common in several EU states.
However, this was not something he thought would be achieved during the present Government's term, and it had not been discussed at Cabinet in any formal way. Mr Dempsey also said he was in favour of delaying the local elections, due to take place next year and already postponed for two years, pending the imposition of changes to the law on local government.
The Minister said he was against holding the elections until after the Local Government Financial Provisions Bill, 1997, which is to be published shortly, is in place, as well as legislation devolving certain executive functions from his Department to local councils. A Devolution Commission to look at this issue.
