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LAST UPDATE | 15 Nov 2024
BACK IN OCTOBER, Simon Harris told us, “I like elections on a Friday. Friday is a good day to have an election.”
Good for who, Simon? For you? For the candidates? For the turnout statistics?
Because I’ll tell you who it’s not good for. The working parents of the country whose children’s national school will be closed and used as a polling station; yet again. Let’s not forget this is the third time this year we will be going to the polls on a weekday. But Simon says it’s grand. Sure, working parents can just make alternative arrangements, right?
The truth is that in many households around the country, both parents are working outside of the home. Another extra day off school for their young children is another day where at least one parent will have to take it off work.
And before the detractors come pilling in suggesting parents don’t want to look after their own children, don’t embarrass yourself. Ask any parent about getting the luxury of an extra day off to spend with their young children and they’ll say it’s a welcome gift. A day off to have some fun and do nice things with them while they are still young is a privilege. Try making family life work on one salary and come back to me.
Only that’s not what Friday 29 November will be, will it? For most working parents it will likely be another day of utter struggle, calling in every favour in the book to get their children minded for chunks of the day, while they try and juggle working from home, on and off laptops, or smartphones, trying to listen in on calls or answer emails, while trying to be present for their child at the same time. Sounds like the best fun ever, Simon, I literally can’t wait. Almost as fun as the Covid days when the Government illustrated just how much they were willing to ask of working parents when the chips were down.
The simple fact is, not all working parents can take the day off. Not all children are in two-parent households where one can step in or take the day off. Not all working parents have family or friends they can call on to help with the balancing act. For many working parents, the village is gone. And a Friday to boot. A day when many others in offices will already have booked the day off. A day in the run-up to the festive season which sees many events taking place. One mum told me the 29 November is her local women in business networking event she may now have to miss due to her children being off school.
It begs the question, why does it have to be schools? Why not sports centres, community halls, libraries, or churches? The simple answer is money.
Art O’Leary, the Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, told Morning Ireland this week, that voting taking place in many primary schools is a matter for each constituency’s returning officer.
“We have 5,500 polling stations all around the country and the selection of venues depends on location, access, and cost,” he said, adding “There is no cost for using a State public building.”
So, the government is not willing to take the hit on this, but they will shell out millions on bike sheds and security huts? What message does that send to the working parents of the country? It all feels a bit confused given the lavish promises being made to us in the various election manifestos.
For example, all the major political parties have backed a move to cap childcare costs at €200 a month per child and €600 per month, per family of more than three children. A very welcome promise, but if it does materialise, what is the fine print? Will it extend to after-school care, and let’s not ignore the elephant in the room that access to childcare services remains a huge issue they have yet to solve?
And finally, Simon, what’s wrong with voting on a Saturday?
According to Art O’Leary, having elections on a Saturday can lead to turnout being down. He said: “We did [vote on Saturday] for the last general election, turnout dropped by 2%, and 2% of a very large number is a huge number.” What he didn’t mention was that the 2020 elections were also during the start of the Covid pandemic, so maybe other factors played a role on turnout being 62.90%.
Lots of things play a role in turnout by the way, such as the weather, the time of the year, or the actual push made to engage voters to turnout. It’s worth pointing out that 2002’s general election which was held on a Friday had a lower turnout than the 2020 Saturday vote. Also, you’d have to wonder about how accurate turnout data actually is, with a country that has no centralised register.
Hands up if, like me, you’re a grown adult who has a vote in the constituency you now live in, as well as a polling card that arrives without fail at your parent’s address every time? Yep. And like so much of how this country is run, it makes very little practical sense.
Niamh O’Reilly is a freelance writer and journalist.
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It’s good for Simon.. he wants a low turnout, high turnout could suggest same as referendums, which was opposite of narratives and polls.
@Michale Kane: You have nailed it.
@Michale Kane: erm you realise the referendum was also held on a Friday right. So your comment makes absolutely no sense.
@Ger Whelan: We will see after 29th.
@Ger Whelan: Sense not needed here. Make it up.
@Michale Kane: it’s good for Fiacra and Becky in South County who both “work” from on a Friday and who both voted yes/yes in marriage. the Tesla doesn’t even come off charging mode of a Friday in that house.
@Michale Kane: you’re spouting nonsense as usual
@Ger Whelan: no. He’s right. People working, studying abroad didn’t have time to register for postal vote.
Good for working people who have a routine. I’m long retired from building now but we need to stop seeing school as childcare. It’s not, it’s education.
@Caoimhin O’Connor: That’s an odd comment.
@Caoimhin O’Connor: all the government cronies relatives get their pay day as well. More pigs feeding at the trough!!!!
@Caoimhin O’Connor: go back to bed will ya.
Other countries have voting at the weekend, but that would probably make too much sense over here
I can a lot if not most of FF FG GP TDs losing their seats in the General Election . They have only their own incompetence and arrogance to blame for that .
@Jim Ryan: ” I can a lot if not most”? Make it make sense please
@Jim Ryan: I can *see* a lot if not most of FF FG GP TDs losing their seats in the General Election .They have only their own incompetence and arrogance to blame for that .
@Jim Ryan:
I can see them doing very well,so can’t agree with your thoughts.
Good for primary school teachers, get the Christmas shopping done
Can be good for voters to get a change of government. Vote SF/Inds/small parties/SocDems.
@F1rYnpWc: trying to bring all them together to agree on anything is impossible. A government with so many small split parties / independents wouldn’t last a year. And no major party wants to go in with SF for clear and obvious reasons so there is only one outcome for this election result.
@F1rYnpWc: Chap suggests herding cats is rewarding…
@P. V. Aglue: We should get rid of them, no need for primary schools.
Oh give over Niamh. I’m a working parent of 2 kids and I’ve no issue with Friday elections so you don’t speak for all working parents. You will have over 3 weeks notice to arrange childcare or to book a day off work if required so stop whining, grow up and get on with it
@Ger Whelan: Its not all about you Ger though is it.. Plenty have to take time off make arrangements to vote, others like many of my colleagues work abroad during the weeks, flights pre booked, commuters and all those who get up early to work.., and Simon played silly games for weeks about the date, totally disrespecting the voting public.
@Michale Kane: I have had to make arrangements. Guess what I’ve made them already. Plenty of time to arrange things.
@Ger Whelan: Tbf, Not everyone is a successful businessman like you Ger .. but I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to accommodate all your staff with a day off in 3 weeks time.. Plenty of notice and all that..
@Ger Whelan: ye civil service lot do live a pampered life.. I probably won’t even make it this time, have a large IT implementation Go-Live over that weekend .. End of a 3 year project.. The real world don’t revolve around you and your office hrs Ger. But you will never know that inside your cushy bubble of self.
@Michale Kane: They work abroad, fair play to them. they can get postal votes so!
@Michale Kane: Simon obviously knew this when arranging the date… “it’s not all about you Michale”
@Ger Whelan: I’ll bet your missis does all the childcare. So it’s not your headache
Yes I like the Sunday voting day in most of the European countries.
Illegal immigrants. Bogus asylum seekers?
@Paul Kavanagh: No one cares Paul.
You can please some of the people some of the time.But you cannot please all of the people all of the time.
Good for teachers. Day off or else the extra money to sit on their holes doing the election papers.
He’s an harsehole. They left it too late. People who live or study abroad hadn’t time to register for a postal vote.
2 days of voting, Friday and Saturday.
If your polling card arrives at the “wrong address” it is not the fault of the government. That is the constituency you are registered in.
Best check the electoral register to get your details right!
Saturday may not be ideal for the Jewish community in Ireland.
@David Hickey: yet a Friday being Muslim sabbath is ok?
@North Phone Bowe: Sunday ‘the lords day’… lamo Religion.
@North Phone Bowe: I didn’t advocate for Friday.
Simon says…. vote #1 for a Fine Gael candidate!!!
@Neil Harvey: Ger Whelan says no. I have my one and only candidate picked and not a single preference vote will be given.
@Ger Whelan: They won’t be having my vote either!
@Ger Whelan:
People like yourself who don’t seem to understand how the voting system works are a godsend to FFG. Rest assured, their voters, generally older, will make full use of theirs.
@P. J.: If you get your preferences right, it is very satisfying!
I look at the list and mark off the ones I will not vote for.
Then it is who would I like to see elected but realistically have no chance.
Then it down to the order of my preferences.
Who do I want in first to last. Simple really
@Gary Kearney: give no preference to anyone who has or likely to vote with FFG. Only candidates calling for the much needed change this country needs. SF 123 and like minded smaller parties and independents. Then stop.
@North Phone Bowe: Absolutely, MM on the independent last month asking people to vote all the way down the ballot paper because FF do very well on transfers, only give a preference to who you want to see elected otherwise leave the box empty, stop letting these f k r s in the back door.
Govt started holding elections on Fridays in order to facilitate students and others returning home for the weekend. It was done to make it easier to vote and increase turnout
A good day for the whole country
I would vote for FG any day of the week
Most countries in Europe hold their elections on Sundays. Why not here?
@Seamus Martin: day of rest
Moaning abkut her kids again..maybe you should have got a pet brick instead
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