Ireland, Presidential Election, 24 October 2025: Final Report

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights IRELAND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 24 OCTOBER 2025 ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Final Report Warsaw 27July 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 1 II. INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................... 3 III. BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT ........................................................................ 4 IV. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM ............................................................ 5 V. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ................................................................................................. 6 VI. VOTER REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................. 9 VII. CANDIDATE REGISTRATION ................................................................................................. 11 VIII. ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN ......................................................................................................... 12 A. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND REGULATIONS .................................................................................... 12 B. CAMPAIGN ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................ 14 C. ONLINE CAMPAIGN ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................. 16 IX. CAMPAIGN FINANCE ................................................................................................................ 18 A. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE .......................................................................................................... 18 B. DISCLOSURE AND OVERSIGHT ...................................................................................................... 20 X. MEDIA ........................................................................................................................................... 22 A. MEDIA ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................... 22 B. LEGAL FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................................................... 23 C. MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN ........................................................................................ 24 XI. ELECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION ...................................................................................... 25 XII. ELECTION OBSERVATION ...................................................................................................... 27 XIII. ELECTION DAY AND COUNTING .......................................................................................... 28 A. OPENING, VOTING, AND CLOSING ................................................................................................. 28 B. COUNTING ....................................................................................................................................... 28 C. TABULATION AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS ....................................................................... 28 XIV. RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 29 A. PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................... 29 B. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 30 ANNEX: FINAL ELECTION RESULTS ................................................................................................ 32 ABOUT ODIHR ......................................................................................................................................... 33

IRELAND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 24 October 2025 ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Final Report 1 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Following an invitation from the authorities of Ireland, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an Election Assessment Mission (EAM) for the 24 October 2025 presidential election. The ODIHR EAM assessed the compliance of the electoral process with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections as well as with national legislation. In line with ODIHR’s methodology, the ODIHR EAM did not observe election day proceedings in a systematic or comprehensive manner and visited a limited number of polling stations. The 24 October presidential election was called on 3 September, prior to the completion of President Michael D. Higgins’s second and final seven- year term. The election was conducted in a competitive and inclusive environment and administered by election authorities in an orderly and professional manner, enjoying a high level of confidence among stakeholders. The pre-election context was shaped by public expectations that the government would address persistent socio- economic challenges, including the housing crisis, rising living costs, and migration. The campaign was personality- centred, with online engagement playing a prominent role. Catherine Connolly was elected under the single transferable vote system, winning decisively with a majority of first-preference votes. The electoral legal framework, although fragmented across several legal acts, provides a solid basis for the conduct of the presidential election. The 2022 Electoral Reform Act introduced significant reforms, including the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission and the modernisation of voter registration. However, provisions relating to the oversight of online political advertising and countering disinformation have not yet been commenced. While the Act addressed some prior ODIHR recommendations, others remain unaddressed, notably the consolidation of the electoral legislation and the status and role of citizen and international observers. The president is elected “by means of single transferable vote” in a direct election. To be elected, the candidate must obtain 50 per cent of the valid votes plus one or more valid votes than all other candidates combined. The election administration is decentralized, with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage overseeing and co-ordinating all electoral operations and issuing regulations and policy guidelines. Returning officers across th e country have the primary responsibility for the preparations and conduct of elections in their respective areas. The counting of votes is done centrally for each of the 43 constituencies. The election administration enjoyed stakeholders ’ full confidence in its ability to manage the process in a professional and impartial manner. This is the first presidential election since the establishment of the Electoral Commission in 2023 as an independent body. It has assumed various electoral functions from other bodies, including revising constituencies, overseeing referendums, and keeping the register of political parties. ODIHR EAM interlocutors welcomed its establishment and expressed appreciation of its engagement, including in outreach and research activities and in producing post-election reviews with recommendations for improving the electoral process . Irish citizens aged 18 and over who are included in the voter register are eligible to vote, with no limitations based on disability and voting rights extended to all prisoners. Voter registration is decentralised across local authorities, with 3.6 million voters registered for this election. The Electoral Commission conducted a comprehensive voter registration awareness campaign using a range of 1 The English version of this report is the only official document. An unofficial translation is available in Irish .

Ireland Page: 2 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report innovative approaches in both traditional media and on online platforms. While there has been no comprehensive mechanism to check the accuracy of the register, this is expected to be addressed with the merger of the local registers into a single national database in 2026. Citizens who are 35 years or older are eligible to run for office if nominated by at least twenty members of parliament or by a minimum of four local councils. Several ODIHR EAM interlocutors criticised how leading political parties enforced party discipline on councillors and members of parliament, arguing that this disadvantaged independent candidates by limiting their ability to secure nominations. Three candidates were registered; however, on 5 October, one candidate withdrew from the campaign. The campaign was highly personality- centred, with candidates focusing on personal qualities, integrity, and suitability for office, alongside a vision of the presidency as a unifying role embodying shared values, moral leadership, and representation of all citizens. The withdrawal of Jim Gavin from the race reshaped the campaign dynamic into a two- candidate contest, rekindling public concerns about limited choice, and prompting increased calls to voters to spoil their ballots . Several ODIHR EAM interlocutors expressed concern about the growing prevalence of toxic, aggressive, and intimidating discourse targeting candidates and public figures, including rhetoric with elements of incitement to violence and hatred, with racist, misogynistic, and other intolerant elements. The online domain played a major role in the campaign, with candidates, parties, and supporters actively using social media to reach voters. Ms. Connolly’ s online followership and engagement exceeded by far that of Ms. Humphreys, with the former also making extensive use of podcasts. Candidate posts were systematically more positive and less adversarial than those of parties, politicians, and other online actors. Ms. Connolly’ s paid advertising campaigns were more targeted and diverse, with smaller per-ad spending and higher overall volume, while M s. Humphreys’ relied on fewer unique and less targeted ads. Concerns about misinformation peaked shortly before election day with the circulation of AI- generated deepfakes, which were flagged by the Electoral Commission and others and subsequently removed ( by Meta and Alphabet) or labelled as manipulated ( by X). Election campaigns may be financed from public and private funds and in- kind donations. The law provides for campaign expenditure ceilings, disclosure and reporting requirements, and a range of graduated sanctions for potential financial infringements. While post-election financial disclosure mechanisms are in place, there is no requirement for interim reporting prior to election day, limiting voters’ access to official information on campaign income and expenditure. The Standards in Public Office Commission oversees campaign finances with extensive investigative powers. Overall, the legislation provides an adequate framework for the regulation and oversight of campaign finance. Ireland’s media landscape is diverse, yet media pluralism faces increasing challenges due to grow ing concentration of media ownership, which particularly affects the radio and regional media sectors. During the campaign, presidential candidates had ample opportunity to present their platforms in several televised debates and one-to-one interviews, with journalists questioning the candidates vigorously. The Irish-language public broadcaster TG4 chose not to host debates, as only one of the candidates was a fluent Irish speaker, and a debate in Irish would have disadvantaged the other. Women’s participation and representation in public and political life continues to face significant hurdles. Despite a 40 per cent party list quota that resulted in a record number of women candidates at the last general election, women account for only 25 per cent of elected members in the Lower House of Parliament – among the lowest levels in the European Union. Women hold fewer than a quarter of ministerial and senator positions and comprise 26 per cent of local councillors. Structural barriers, including limited access to resources, insufficient party support, and increased exposure to online abuse and gender-based threats, continue to constrain participation, with women from intersecting and diverse backgrounds facing additional obstacles.

Ireland Page: 3 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report Election dispute resolution is administered exclusively through the courts, with the High Court having jurisdiction over presidential electoral petitions and the Supreme Court serving as the final appeal instance. The dispute resolution system is widely accepted and generally regarded as functional by stakeholders. Petitions must be filed within seven days of the declaration of results; however, the absence of adjudication deadlines may not guarantee prompt redress. Legal standing to file a petition is limited to the Director of Public Prosecutions, candidates, and their agents, which is not in line with international good practice. The significant financial deposit required to file a petition may also discourage legitimate challenges. Prior to election day, the High Court heard and dismissed two cases related to the candidate nomination process. In line with the ODIHR methodology, the ODIHR EAM did not conduct a comprehensive and systematic observation of election day proceedings but visited a limited number of polling stations and counting centres in and around Dublin. In the polling stations visited by the ODIHR EAM procedures were generally followed. Preliminary and final election results were released promptly; however, no disaggregated voting results per polling station were published, detracting from transparency. The law does not provide for citizen and international election observation, contrary to OSCE commitments and prior ODIHR recommendations. Nevertheless, the authorities provided the mission with unimpeded access to all stages of the electoral process, including on election day. This report offers recommendations to support efforts to bring elections in Ireland in line with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections. Priority recommendations relate to introducing effective temporary special measures for women, consolidation of the electoral legal framework, supporting local voter registration efforts, establishing a regulatory and institutional framework governing the digital domain, increasing transparency of campaign finance and clarifying institutional responsibility for its oversight, providing adequate multi -year funding for public service media and guaranteeing observer access to all stages of the electoral process. ODIHR stands ready to assist the authorities to address the recommendations contained in this and previous reports. II. INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Following an official invitation from the authorities of Ireland to observe the 24 October 2025 election of the President of Ireland, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an Election Assessment Mission (EAM) from 2 to 30 October. 2 The mission, headed by J. Ray Kennedy, consisted of six experts drawn from six OSCE participating States, comprising three women and three men. The ODIHR EAM was based in Dublin city and visited Galway and localities around the capital. The ODIHR EAM assessed compliance of the electoral process with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. In line with ODIHR’s methodology, the EAM did not observe election day and counting proceedings in a systematic or comprehensive manner but visited a limited number of polling stations and counting centres. The ODIHR EAM wishes to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Electoral Commission for their cooperation and assistance. The ODIHR EAM also expresses its appreciation to other state institutions, as well as the presidential candidates, their agents, political parties, the media, civil society, and other interlocutors for sharing their views. 2 See previous ODIHR election-related reports on Ireland.

Ireland Page: 4 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report III. BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT Ireland is a parliamentary republic with legislative powers vested in the bicameral parliament (Oireachtas), composed of an indirectly elected Senate (Seanad Éireann) and a directly elected House of Representatives (Dáil Éireann). Executive power rests with the government led by the Prime Minister (Taoiseach), who is nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the President (Uachtarán na hÉireann). The President serves as head of state with limited, constitutionally defined powers, including representing the people and the state, appointing members of the government and the judiciary, convening or dissolving parliament, signing laws, and acting as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. Many of these powers are exercised on the advice of the government. In line with the constitutional requirements, the election was called by a Presidential Election Order on 3 September. 3 Outgoing President Michael D. Higgins, who took office on 11 November 2011, stepped down after completing the two seven -year terms permitted by the Constitution. Widely respected and popular, President Higgins has over the years contributed to shaping public expectations of the presidency, including through his vocal engagement on social and policy- related matters of public significance. Ireland has enjoyed a high degree of political stability, with the landscape dominated by the two center- right parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, which alternated in power for decades and have governed together since 2020. The country recently experienced a busy electoral cycle in 2024, which included multiple elections and two referenda on family and gender equality issues, both rejected by voters. 4 Following the 2024 general election, eleven parties gained representation in the House of Representatives. 5 Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed a coalition government together with independent lawmakers. The pre-election environment was shaped by public expectations that the government would address persistent socio-economic challenges, notably the deepening housing crisis, the rising cost of living, and migration, which had becom e an increasingly prominent topic in the political and public debate. Women’s participation and representation in public and political life remains limited. Despite a 40 per cent party list quota that led to a record number of women candidates in the last general election, only 25 per cent of the 174 elected members of parliament ( Teachtaí Dála - TDs) are women – among the lowest levels in the European Union (EU) and 95 th globally. 6 Women hold fewer than a quarter of ministerial and senator posts and they make up 26 per cent of local councillors. 7 Persistent structural barriers, such as limited access to resources, insufficient party support, and increasing exposure to online abuse and gender-based threats, continue to constrain women’s participation. Women with intersecting and diverse backgrounds face even greater obstacles. To address these gaps, national and international actors have called, among other measures, for strengthened implementation of quotas , their 3 See the Presidential Election Order by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. In line with the Constitution, a presidential election must be held within 60 days of the expiry of the incumbent president’s mandate. President Higgins’ term in office was due to expire on 10 November 2025. 4 Women’s and human rights organizations have called for amending Article 41.2 of the Constitution about "the role of women in the home" as it detracts from the aspired gender equality and perpetuates gender stereotypes. See 2025 CEDAW Committee Concluding Observations, paragraphs 11 and12; the 2025 Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Alternative Report to CEDAW Committee, paragraphs 21-26, and the 2025 report by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), p. 56. 5 Fianna Fáil won the most seats (48), followed by Sinn Féin (39), Fine Gael (38), Labor Party and Social Democrats (11 seats each), Independent Ireland (4), People Before Profit - Solidarity (3), Aontú (2), 100 % Redress and Green Party (1 seat each). Remaining seats were won by independent candidates. 6 Inter-Parliamentary Union Parline, Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments . 7 Three of the 15 Cabinet Ministers, 6 of the 23 Ministers of State, and 27 of 60 senators are women.

Ireland Page: 5 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report extension to other elected and appointed positions, and the introduction of 'nested' quotas to improve intersectional representation, including of Traveller women. 8 Political parties should identify barriers to women’s participation through gender audits, review internal practices and implement measures to address gaps. IV. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM The electoral legal framework includes the 1937 Constitution (last amended in 2019), which defines the presidential mandate and the electoral system; the 1993 Presidential Elections Act, which outlines the procedures for the election of the president; the 1992 Electoral Act (last amended in 2024), which covers voter registration and procedures for the conduct of the presidential election; and the 1997 Electoral Act (last amended in 2024), which mainly regulates campaign finance. The legal framework underwent extensive changes with the adoption of the 2022 Electoral Reform Act (last amended in 2024), which amended the 1992 and 1997 Electoral Acts and the 1993 Presidential Elections Act. The 1997 Electoral Act is currently being reviewed by the Franchise Unit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (hereafter Department of Housing). Ireland is a party to major international law instruments related to democratic elections. 9 Despite being fragmented across several legal acts, the electoral legal framework provides a solid basis for the conduct of presidential elections and enjoys stakeholder confidence. The framework is complemented by regulations implementing the electoral acts issued by the Department of Housing and known as Statutory Instruments (S.I.). 10 Although the statutory instruments are available individually on the Department’s website, they are not consolidated into a single document to include those later issued or amended . 11 This approach is not practical for the election stakeholders and could lead to uncertainty about what constitutes the applicable regulatory framework in an election. 12 The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage could for every election consolidate the relevant statutory instruments into a single document and publish them on its website to avoid uncertainty about the applicable regulatory framework. 8 See CEDAW Committee’s 2025 Concluding Observations, para. 23-24, appeals by the Alliance for Gender Quotas (September 2024 Position Paper, p. 20) and IHREC May 2025 report , p. 19, echoing recommendations by the Joint Committee on Gender Equality (Unfinished Democracy: Achieving Gender Equality, 2022) and of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality (2021 Recommendations). 9 Including the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) , 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICRD), 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1995 Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, 2003 UN Convention against Corruption, 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 2011 Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating the Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (The Istanbul Convention). Ireland is a member of the Council of Europe’s European Commission for Democracy through Law ( Venice Commission) and Group of States against Corruption ( GRECO). 10 According to Section 3 of the 1992 Electoral Act both Houses of the Parliament may in case of disagreement annul such regulations within 21 days from their issuance. 11 The following regulations apply to a presidential election: S.I. No. 156 of 2007 Electoral Regulations, which outlines the requirements to nomination papers, ballot paper and lists what constitutes valid voter ID. S.I. No. 383 of 2025 Electoral Act 1997 (Variation of Monetary Amount) Order which sets the criteria for the reimbursement of candidates’ expenses. S.I. No. 361 of 2025 Electoral (Amendment) Regulations regarding valid voter ID; S.I. No. 329 of 2018 on the candidate nomination form; S.I. No. 395 of 2018 Presidential Elections (Ballot Paper Template) Regulations, which provide for arrangements to facilitate independent voting by visually impaired voters. 12 Paragraph 19 of the 2011 General Comment 34 to Article 19 of the 1996 ICCPR provides that “ [s]tates should make every effort to ensure easy, prompt, effective and practical access to public information”.

Ireland Page: 6 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report The 2022 Electoral Reform Act introduced significant reforms, including the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission to oversee elections and referendums, rules on online political advertising, measures to counter disinformation, and new provisions on fundraising, financial reporting, and disclosure. The Act modernised voter registration by introducing continuous registration, allowing pre-registration of those aged 16- 17, and removing the distinction between physical and mental health for voters eligible to apply for postal and special voting. The Electoral Commission will eventually assume oversight functions under Parts 4 and 5 of the Act, which relate to online paid political advertising during election and referendum campaigns and to investigating and countering online disinformation, misinformation, and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour. However, these Parts had not been commenced for this election. While the 2022 Electoral Reform Act addressed some prior ODIHR recommendations, such as the establishment of the Electoral Commission and improvements to the voter registration process, others remain unaddressed, notably those related to consolidation of the electoral legislation and the status and role of citizen and international observers in elections. The different legal instruments at times use inconsistent terminology and retain outdated language. This might create difficulties for users. Nevertheless, the parliament continues to pass amendment acts rather than consolidating the existing acts into a single document. Both the Department of Housing and the Electoral Commission informed the ODIHR EAM that such an exercise could be reconsidered after this election and prior to the next election cycle in 2029. To enhance accessibility and facilitate uniform implementation of the electoral legal framework, consideration should be given to formal ly consolidating the current electoral legislation. The Constitution stipulates that the president is elected “ by means of single transferable vote” in a direct election. This means that the president is elected with a majority of valid votes in a one-round election. The single transferable vote system envisages that voters rank the presidential candidates on the ballot in order of preference (1, 2, 3 etc.). To be elected, the winning candidate must obtain 50 per cent of the valid votes plus one (the election quota) or more valid votes than all other candidates combined. If no candidate obtains sufficient first-preference votes to meet the quota, the candidate(s) with the lowest votes are eliminated and their votes are transferred to the continuing candidates in accordance with the next available preference. This process continues until a candidate has sufficient votes to be declared elected. If only one candidate is nominated, the election is not held and that candidate is declared elected president. V. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION The election administration is decentralized, with the Department of Housing overseeing and co- ordinating all electoral operations, providing legislative advice, and issuing regulations and policy guidelines. The Franchise Unit of the Department of Housing comprises nine members (five men and four women). The Presidential Returning Officer (PRO), appointed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, oversees candidate registration and tabulates and announces the final election results. The presidential election was administered locally by R eturning Officers (ROs) within the 43 constituencies used for elections to the lower house of parliament. 13 A total of 17 local ROs (nine men and eight women) oversaw the preparations for the polling and counting of votes in their respective 13 In the county and county boroughs of Dublin and Cork, the local sheriff is the local RO, while in all other counties and county boroughs the local RO is the county registrar. In Dublin, both ROs were assisted by elections managers who carried out much of the election preparations. The ROs are the same for presidential and general elections.

Ireland Page: 7 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report areas. 14 The ROs enjoy wide discretion, including in engaging and training supervisors, presiding officers, and poll clerks to staffing polling stations on election day, as well as in hiring and training counting staff. 15 Although ROs may delegate certain functions to deputy and assistant ROs, the announcement of the election results for the entire RO area remains the responsibility of the RO. The Department of Housing issued a comprehensive memorandum for ROs outlining the applicable legal and regulatory framework and providing practical guidelines on all aspects of the election process. The law does not guarantee a gender-balanced recruitment of election administration staff, and local returning officers were not collecting gender disaggregated data on the number of the men and women engaged in the conduct of polling and counting. 16 Although not bound by any centrally issued guidelines on gender equality, the ROs met by the ODIHR EAM informed that they were mindful about the topic and strived to hire men and women in equal numbers. Returning Officers enjoy wide discretion in recruiting and selecting polling and counting staff and typically advertise these positions only when vacancies arise. In some constituencies, polling and counting staff are drawn exclusively from public officials. To promote the participation of women in election administration, the presidential returning officer should collect and publish disaggregated data on gender representation of polling and counting staff. The election administration enjoyed stakeholders’ confidence in its ability to manage the election process in a professional and impartial manner. With a few exceptions, all presiding officers that the ODIHR EAM met with appeared to have prior election experience; and nearly all polling staff in Dublin stated that as preparation for this election, they had watched the online training video for presiding officers and taken the online quiz-test. A similar adapted video was displayed during the only in- person training of presiding officers that the ODIHR EAM was informed of and attended. 17 The Department of Housing had prepared a manual with practical guidance for presiding officers. 18 Training of polling and counting staff could be provided in a more engaging and interactive manner, and training materials should be tailored specifically to the type of election they are intended to cover. The Electoral Commission was established in 2023 with the stated purpose to modernize the conduct of elections and referendums. It currently comprises seven members (four men and three women) and is chaired by a woman. The Chairperson, a former Supreme Court Judge, is appointed by the President upon nomination of the Chief Justice. Two members serve ex officio – the Ombudsman and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. 19 The Commission meets in -person once or twice a month and its agendas and meeting minutes are published, although with some delay. The day-to-day work is led by 14 If the RO ’s area comprises more than one constituency, the RO appoints a deputy RO for each additional constituency. I f part of the area is in another county or county borough, the RO appoints an assistant RO for that area. 15 A polling station (“table”) is staffed by a presiding officer and an electoral clerk. 16 Paragraph 40.13 of the 1991 OSCE Moscow Document commits participating States to “ensure the collection and analysis of data to assess adequately, monitor and improve the situation of women”. 17 The lecture- style training for some 50 presiding officers from Dublin Bay South was held on October 19 in Dublin. It featured one interactive element, an exercise in how to fill- in the ballot paper account, and was not conducted by a skilled trainer. 18 The manual generally appeared to be a useful practical tool and, among others, offered advice on how to communicate with voters with special needs such as persons with disabilities. A few passages of the manual appeared to refer to outdated practices. 19 The Commission currently has seven ordinary members, but a call has gone out to fill the remaining two vacant seats and bring the total membership of the Commission up to nine members . Ordinary members are appointed by the President upon nomination by the government based on recommendations by the Public Appointments Service.

Ireland Page: 8 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report a Chief Executive Officer, who is part of the Commission’s six -member management team (three women and three men). 20 The Electoral Commission assumed various responsibilities from other bodies including constituency review for parliamentary and European Parliament elections, the registration of political parties, and providing neutral information on the question proposed in national referendums. The Commission also conducts electoral research and makes recommendations to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, provides the public with information about elections and referendums, and encourages public participation in elections and democratic processes, as well as provides oversight of the voter register. All ODIHR EAM stakeholders welcomed the establishment of the Electoral Commission and expressed appreciation of its broad and dedicated engagement in outreach and research activities and in producing post-electoral event reports with recommendations for improvement of the electoral process. Prior to and during the election period, the Commission undertook a wide range of concrete education and public engagement activities to encourage eligible voters to register and to go and vote. 21 Many initiatives specifically targeted young and first-time voters (18- 25 years) as well as future voters (16-17 years). The Commission engaged influencers and, for the first time, conducted a comprehensive and engaging voter outreach campaign on TikTok. According to the Commission staff, its public outreach campaign resulted in over 90,000 voter applications. 22 Returning officers co- ordinated the safekeeping of ballot material, including during the transfer of ballot boxes to counting centres on election night, with the national police. The Department of Housing and the Electoral Commission are both part of a National Election Co-operation Network which also comprises state bodies specialized in data protection, cybersecurity and risk assessment and mitigation. The Network may issue internal threat alerts if challenges arise. The ODIHR EAM was not informed about any security threats or incidents in relation to the election. The Department of Housing and the Electoral Commission regularly consult disabled peoples’ organizations (DPOs), the National Disability A uthority (NDA), the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), and others to make electoral processes more inclusive for persons with disabilities. However, some interlocutors noted that service providers are disproportionate ly involved – rather than DPOs – in advising state and local authorities on necessary accommodations and assistive tools for people with disabilities which may negatively affect their right to equal participation in the electoral process. 23 The election legislation provides for reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities, including the selection of accessible polling stations, wheelchair-accessible booths, large-print voting instructions, Braille ballot templates, and an audio guide for visually impaired voters. 24 Where a polling station is not independently accessib le, the RO must give public notice at least eight days prior to election day and may authorize the voter to cast the ballot in another polling station in the same constituency, provided the voter submits a request at least seven days prior to election day, leaving only a day for submission of request. This compressed timeframe may place a disproportionate burden on voters with disabilities and limit the effective exercise of their right to vote, particularly where they rely on the formal notice to become aware of accessibility barriers. 20 The Chief Executive is empowered to make proposals to the Commission on matters relating to its functions and may perform additional duties as authorized by the Electoral Reform Act or required by the Commission. 21 See the Commission’s comprehensive Education and Public Engagement Strategy. 22 See Electoral Commission’s media release of 8 October 2025. 23 Article 4.3 of the UN CRPD requires State parties to closely consult and actively involve persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations in all relevant legislation, policies, and decision-making processes. 24 The Department of Housing provided all ROs with an accessibility checklist for buildings used for polling station premises prepared by the NDA.

Ireland Page: 9 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report To ensure the effective exercise of the right to vote and to strengthen the effectiveness of the accommodation measure, voters should be provided with a reasonable period to request alternative voting arrangements. Notably, each polling station received one ballot paper template in Braille, adjustable to fit the ballot paper along with an audio guide – a freephone service providing an audio version of candidate information – to enable visually impaired voters to mark their ballots independently. 25 However, IHREC noted that barriers to electoral participation for persons with disabilities remain. 26 Persons with disabilities may use assisted voting and special voting procedures. Voters who are unable to mark the ballot independently may request assistance in the polling booth. If the presiding officer is satisfied that assistance is warranted, permission is granted; there is no need to provide further documentation. The rules allow voters to be assist ed by a companion aged 16 years or older. Such person may assist no more than two voters, while the presiding officer may assist multiple voters without limit. The provision that entitles the presiding officer to assist voters requesting assistance challenges the secrecy of the vote and best practice since the same person should, as a rule, not assist multiple voters. 27 Presiding officers may turn down a request for assistance in the last two hours before the closing of the poll if the polling station is busy. This rule appears unnecessarily restrictive . The role of the presiding officer could be to help such voters identifying a person of choice to assist them. The provision for assisted voting should be reconsidered to exclude that the same person including the presiding officer assists multiple voters. The right of voters to be assisted by a person of their choice should be extended to special voting and on election day should not be limited in the final two hours before the closing of the polls. Positively, and for the first time, in cooperation with Down Syndrome Ireland, the Electoral Commission produced easy- to-understand information materials, including a voter registration guide, reflecting a growing recognition that voters with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities also require specific support. Similarly, when candidate Jim Gavin “withdrew” , but technically stayed in the race, the Commission was approached by the organization with a request to explain how to best explain the implications of Gavin’s non-withdrawal to voters with intellectual disabilities. VI. VOTER REGISTRATION Irish citizens aged 18 years or older and permanently residing in the country are eligible to vote. There are no restrictions based on intellectual or psychosocial disability and prisoners are allowed to vote as well. Citizens permanently residing abroad are not eligible to vote, except for diplomats and their spouses/civil partners and military personnel. 28 25 Based on membership feedback, DPO Voice of Vision Impairment (VVI) informed the ODIHR EAM that the tactile ballot paper template was difficult to handle for vision-impaired voters, and would be even more so in elections with many candidates on the ballot. See also 2025 Submission by VVI to the Joint Committee of the parliament on Disability Matters. 26 In its June 2025 Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, IHREC recommended the Committee to request the State to “address and remove information, physical, assistance and attitud inal barriers that prevent disabled people from participating in the democratic process” 27 According to the Article 29 a. (iii) of the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities , the States Parties shall guarantee “the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice”. See also the Venice Commission Revised Interpretative Declaration to the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters on the Participation of People with Disabilities in Elections, para II.3. 28 Citizens who are temporarily abroad for work, study or business may retain their registration in Ireland for a period of up to 18 months and return home to vote on election day.

Ireland Page: 10 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report The issue of extending the franchise to all Irish citizens abroad in presidential elections has been debated since the 1980s. 29 An extension would require a referendum on amending the Constitution and the subsequent introduction of complex legislation to regulate the registration of oversea s citizens and the practical arrangements for taking their vote. 30 Most ODIHR EAM interlocutors considered the current policy as unfair; however, there is no political consensus whether to extend the right to vote to all overseas citizens or only to those residing in Northern Ireland. While no existing commitment requires an OSCE participating State to extend voting rights to its citizens abroad, enfranchising some but not all citizens abroad in presidential election may challenge the principle of equal suffrage. 31 If out-of-country voting is introduced, registration and voting procedures should be made uniform for all eligible voters abroad to ensure equal suffrage. Voter registration is active and decentralized, with registers maintained by registration offices in 31 local authorities across the country. V oters are not required to present proof of de-registration in one constituency when registering in another, and there is no comprehensive mechanism to check register accuracy or remove duplicate or redundant entries. Nevertheless, most ODIHR EAM interlocutors expressed confidence in the registration process and did not raise concerns about multiple voting. The 2022 Electoral Reform Act provided for the establishment of a national voter register database, the Local Government Electoral Registration System (LGERS). The merger of the 31 local registers into a single verifiable database maintained by the Dublin City Council as the Designated Registration Authority, is expected by the end of 2026. As a pilot project, the voter registers of four Dublin local authorities have been merged into a single verifiable database, accessible to Dublin voters, for registration or updating their records. This platform will eventually become the single national entry point for online voter registration. Meanwhile, the remaining 27 local registers were accessible online for voters through a separate portal. Both online systems were widely advertised. A particular challenge for improving the accuracy of the voter registers has been the absence of a unique identifier on voter records. 32 The introduction of the Personal Public Service number ( PPSN) on voter records in combination with voters’ Eircode (dwelling identification code) and date of birth is meant to improve the accuracy. While the PPSN is not legally required to be on the electoral register, it is required to complete an online voter registration application. 33 The Electoral Reform Act also provides for a “pending electors list”, which allows 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register and be automatically added to the voter register when they turn 18 years of age. Voters could register until 7 October, with a 29 September deadline for applications for postal and special voting. A total of 3,614,450 voters were registered for this election, including 14,566 voters on postal voter lists, and 16,154 voters on special voter lists. Each registration office made its updated register available for public inspection after the deadline and polling cards containing the voter’s registration number and polling station address were mailed to all registered and eligible voters ahead 29 See also the 2013 Fifth Report of the Convention on Amending the Constitution to give citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in p residential elections at Irish embassies, or otherwise. 30 In 2019 the government presented the Thirty -ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to facilitate this extension, but it failed to pass with the advent of Covid-19 and the ensuing restrictions. 31 Paragraph 7.3 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document commits participating States to “guarantee universal and equal suffrage to adult citizens”. 32 In a recent oversight report , the Electoral Commission identified significant accuracy gaps throughout the country and recommended improvements, including substantial increase in funding, conduct of accuracy audits, and introduction of clear progress plans and benchmarks for improving the registers. 33 The PRO informed the ODIHR EAM that a PPSN is not mandatory for regist ering to vote. Voters who do not provide the PPSN cannot register online ; they must complete a paper application form and have their identity verified in person (at a police station or at the local registration authority) before submitting the form to register.

Ireland Page: 11 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report of election day. 34 By law, victims of domestic abuse, could apply to be anonymous and not appear on any voter register; anonymous vote rs vote by postal ballot. 35 The law provides for postal voting for diplomats serving abroad and their spouses or partners, military personnel, police officers, individuals held in prisons or detention centres, and polling staff serving outside their area of permanent registration. Voters whose occupation, service or employment prevents them from voting in person on election day, and full-time students living away from home while studying in Ireland can also register to vote by mail. 36 Voters who are unable to vote in person at regular polling stations because of illness or disability, but not resident in a care home or similar facility, may also apply for a postal ballot, but they need to provide a medical certificate. The requirement to obtain and present a certificate from a medical practitioner appears to be overly burdensome and costly for ill and disabled voters. Consideration should be given to waiving all charges associated with medical certification imposed on persons applying for postal voting due to illness or disability . Special voting is available to ill or disabled voters residing in nursing facilities, care homes, or hospitals. It is a form of advance mobile voting conducted before election day by special presiding officers who bring the ballot materials to the voters and administer voting on- site. Only the Police may be present when the special presiding officer carries out the voting, and if assistance is requested, only the special presiding officer may provide it; at odds with the Article 29 of the UN CRPD. The Electoral Commission conducted a comprehensive voter registration awareness campaign us ing a range of innovative approaches in both traditional media and on online platforms. 37 Commission employees attended multi-day public events such as open- air concerts and sports competitions encouraging attendants to register or update their details, to reach the young and unregistered voters. Local registration authorities informed the ODIHR EAM that they also carried out voter-outreach activities and some also co-operated with civil society groups representing underrepresented communities, including Irish Travellers, to reach out to unregistered voters in these communities. VII. CANDIDATE REGISTRATION Every citizen over the age of 35 is eligible to stand for office. Presidential candidates must be nominated either by at least twenty members of the parliament, or by local councils of not less than four administrative counties (or county boroughs). 38 Former or incumbent presidents who are seeking re - election may nominate themselves, but only once. The nomination period ran from 5 to 24 September . Individuals seeking support for nomination at local level must ensure that each of the councils (or corporations) passes a reso lution to this effect and affix es its seal to the nomination paper before submitting it to the PRO. The PRO examines nomination papers on the last day of nomination following the expiry of the application deadline. Candidates or their 34 Third party inquiries about voter register records are permitted. The so-called pending list for 16- and 17-year-old persons is not subject to publication and inspection. 35 The right to become an anonymous voter extends to members of the household of the person whose safety would be at risk if their name and address were published on the voter list. 36 The Electoral Commission informed the ODIHR EAM that it intends to research the possibility of extending the postal voting to additional categories such as voters temporarily abroad for work or leisure on election day while safeguarding the integrity of the vote . 37 Outreach activities at the local level have also targeted registered voters whose records lack any of the three identifiers. The registration office in Dún Laoghaire-Rethrown told the ODIHR EAM that they had mailed some 20,000 voters on the register with missing data fields with a request to provide their PPSN, Eircode and date of birth. 38 No member of the parliament or local council may nominate more than one candidate in the same election.

Ireland Page: 12 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report authorized representatives must attend the examination, which is also attended by a judicial assessor who is either the president of the High Court or an other judge nominated by that court . The nomination papers must contain a short description of the candidate including sur name, occupation and address. The PRO is entitled to amend the description if considered incorrect, insufficient to identify the person, or unnecessarily long. At the same time, the law provides a safeguard against a nomination paper being ruled invalid if there is an error or omission in the candidate’s description provided the identity of the person is free of doubt. The PRO may reject the nomination papers if candidates fail to meet the eligibility criteria or their nomination papers are deemed invalid. Grounds for invalidation include improper signatures, absence of the candidate or their agent during the examination, refusal to allow the PRO to amend the candidate’s description, or submission of a withdrawal notice before the close of nominations. Although the law does not explicitly permit candidates or their agents the right to correct mistakes or omissions other than those pertaining to the description of the person, the PRO assured the ODIHR EAM that candidates are nevertheless given the possibility to correct errors during the examination. The legislation should be amended to afford prospective candidates the explicit right to correct mistakes or omissions in their nomination papers prior to the ruling on nominations. Three candidates were registered to run in the election following the examination of nomination papers, namely Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (Independent, 35 signatures), Jim Gavin (Fianna Fáil, 52 signatures) and Heather Humphreys (Fine Gael, 53 signatures). Several ODIHR EAM interlocutors criticized how the two leading political parties enforced the party discipline on its local councillors and members of parliament during this election . They argued that this practice disadvantaged independent candidates by limiting their ability to secure the required nominations, thereby potentially undermining both the competitiveness of the candidate nomination process and the presidential election itself . 39 On 5 October, presidential candidate Jim Gavin announced his withdrawal from the campaign. After consulting the Attorney General, the PRO clarified that a candidate could not withdraw after the ruling on nominations, and that the law requires the ballot to contain the names and descriptions of the registered candidates. 40 Hence, voters had a choice between three candidates on election day. VIII. ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN A. L EGAL FRAMEWORK AND REGULATIONS While the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly relevant to electoral competition are constitutionally guaranteed, the legal framework provides only limited regulation of traditional forms of campaigning. It sets timeframes for placing and removing campaign posters, and entitles candidates to send one campaign communication by post to each household free of charge. 41 Political activity and campaign materials are prohibited inside and within 50 meters of polling stations on election day, during the poll, and for half an hour before and after. There are no rules defining other forms of campaigning and the period during which various forms of campaign activities may take place. A campaign silence period is not envisaged, except for ‘additional care’ requirements applicable to media (see Media section). 39 The PRO received 2 nominations from three local councils for Gareth Patrick and Kieran McCarthy but both were rejected for falling short of the legal requirement that a candidate must be nominated by at least four councils. 40 See PRO’s 5 October Statement and Frequently Asked Questions clarifying that Jim Gavin would remain on ballot. 41 Per the 1997 Litter Pollution Act, posters can be displayed from 30 days before the election or the date of signing of the Presidential Election Order and must be removed within 7 days following the election.

Ireland Page: 13 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report The regulatory framework in the digital domain has evolved significantly in recent years, including in response to EU-level developments, forming part of what is known as the Online Safety Framework. This includes the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, in force since March 2023, which established the media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM), with powers to oversee social- media and video-sharing platforms through binding online-safety codes. 42 Building on this framework, the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) was transposed into the national legislation through the Irish Digital Services Act. 43 CnaM has been designated as the Digital Services Co-ordinator (DSC), with powers to handle complaints, investigate, impose fines, and issue compliance notices and orders to address infringements by online intermediary service providers. At the same time, just before the EU Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (2024/900) (TTPA) entered into force across the EU in 2025, the European Commission issued implementation guidelines, 44 and the government published the national TTPA implementing regulations on 10 October. 45 The latter designated the Electoral Commission as the national focal point and delineated oversight and enforcement responsibilities among the Electoral Commission, CnaM, and the Data Protection Commission. Since the TTPA took effect mid- campaign, the government granted a “ grace period” until 31 October before enforcement would apply to avoid confusion on applicable rules. The 2022 Electoral Reform Act envisaged granting the Electoral Commission monitoring and investigatory powers over online platforms during electoral periods to address mis- and disinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour. These provisions were not commenced, in part due to concerns from the European Commission about their alignment with the DSA and broader Digital Single Market rules, leaving the Electoral Commission without statutory powers in this area at the time of the election. 46 At the policy level, the adoption of a National Counter Disinformation Strategy in April 2025 was welcomed by stakeholders as an effort to improve institutional co -operation on disinformation. 47 However, ODIHR EAM interlocutors regretted that it remained largely aspirational, lacking a concrete roadmap for platform oversight and measures addressing ‘recommender system’ algorithms. 48 The lack of algorithmic transparency and the resulting limited ability of regulators to identify and prevent their misuse were seen as continuing vulnerabilities. Overall, the evolving digital regulatory framework established the core architecture for social media and digital electoral integrity oversight. However, regulatory gaps remained during this election regarding the monitoring of online content, disinformation, misinformation, co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour, and political advertising, pending further legislative development and alignment. Authorities should prioritize completing and operationalizing the digital regulatory arrangements relevant to elections by reviewing, updating and, as appropriate, commencing outstanding provisions of the Electoral Reforms Act in a manner consistent with the EU Digital Services and Digital Single Market rules. This should ensure that the Electoral Commission is vested with effective statutory powers to monitor and address risks related to online content during electoral periods. 42 The first Online Safety Code , published in October 2024, imposed duties on video- sharing platforms with EU headquarters in Ireland to protect users from harmful content and established sanctions for breaches. 43 The Irish 2024 DSA Act also amended the Broadcasting Act 2009 and other legislation to establish the national supervisory and enforcement regime under the EU DSA. 44 See Guidelines to support the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/900 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising, European Commission, 8 October 2025. 45 See European Union Political Advertising Regulations 2025, S.I. No. 474 of 2025, 10 October 2025. 46 See the European Commission Notification 2024/0374/IE of 1 October 2024. 47 The government designated 1.1 million EUR to support the implementation of the strategy . 48 The lack of attention to the manipulative use of ‘recommender system’ algorithms in policy documents, including the Online Safety Code and the National Counter Disinformation Strategy, drew concern from ICCL and more than 60 organizations ahead of the adoption of the former. Despite its initial proposal for the Online Safety Code to oblige platforms to turn off 'recommender system' profiling by default, CnaM has subsequently suggested that these matters are best addressed under the DSA.

Ireland Page: 14 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report B. C AMPAIGN ENVIRONMENT As is typical for presidential elections in Ireland, the campaign was highly personality-centred. Given the largely ceremonial nature of the post, candidates focused on personal qualities, integrity, and suitability for office, while promoting a vision of the presidency as a unifying role embodying shared values, moral leadership, and representation of all citizens. At the same time, broader themes such as foreign policy, housing, and migration featured regularly in the discourse, with candidates’ positions tested also on issues beyond the presidential remit. The strong focus on personal records exposed candidates to intense public and media scrutiny, which, according to several ODIHR EAM interlocutors, can be highly intrusive and personally damaging, potentially discouraging prospective candidates from entering the race. The withdrawal of Jim Gavin from the race reshaped the campaign dynamic into a de facto two- candidate contest. His decision caused turbulence within his nominating party, Fianna Fáil, 49 triggered shifts in candidate endorsements, and sharpened focus on the remaining contenders. 50 The further narrowing of voter options also rekindled public concerns about limited choice, which found expression in increased calls for voters to spoil their ballot on election day. 51 The two remaining candidates canvassed actively across the country, making efforts to appeal to various societal groups, including youth, women, seniors, people with disabilities, and those with diverse backgrounds. 52 They prioritized door-to-door campaigning, posters, leaflets, and small events for voter outreach. What started as an amicable campaign turned increasingly adversarial as election day neared. As opinion polls showed Ms. Connolly in the lead, her campaign became the target of sharper criticism from opponents. Apart from broadly formulated requirements to be impartial and serve the public interest, ethics legislation for those in elected positions and public officials as well as the related codes of conduct do not regulate campaigning by public officials or require separation between their political activities and public functions. 53 Similarly, the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) guidelines, while outlining rules related to the use of public resources, do not address the involvement of public officials in election campaigns. 54 In practice, candidates relied heavily on endorsing parties, supporters, and volunteers as the operational and mobilizing backbone of their campaigns. This often included public officials, TDs, senators, and local councillors – who were canvassing, distributing materials or making media appearances with or on behalf of candidates, at times referencing their official positions, or combining campaign activities with their ministerial duties. 55 While commendable efforts to distinguish 49 Fianna Fáil faced internal questions about its candidate selection process. A survey published in the wake of Gavin’ s withdrawal saw the government’s, prime minister’s, and party’ s support rates drop. 50 While Connolly continued to rely on the backing by a consolidated flank of progressive parties and politicians on the left of the political spectrum, Ms. Humphreys’ candidacy attracted additional support from politicians at Fianna Fáil, including the prime minister, other parties, and independents. 51 A Spoil The Vote campaign was launched one week before election day, following the proliferation of calls on social media for voters to spoil their vote in response to a limited choice of candidates on the ballot. 52 Ms. Connolly’ s campaign was run in a particularly engaging manner, with her campaign website featuring a calendar of events and materials in easy-to-read and large- text formats for persons with disabilities. 53 Public office ethics are governed by the 1995 Ethics in Public Office Act and the 2001 Standards in Public Office Act. Codes of Conduct apply to civil servants, office holders, TDs, senators, and local councillors. 54 See Guidelines for the Presidential Election to be held on 24 October 2025, SIPO, p. 23-24. 55 Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, and Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, served as Directors of Elections for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, respectively, and campaigned for candidates Humphreys and Gavin , respectively. Prime Minister Micheál Martin, while being presented as speaking in an official capacity, criticized candidate Connolly in his party’s X post . In a promotional post , Ministers of State Marian Harkin, Michael Healy- Rae, Noel Grealish, and Kevin Moran endorsed Humphreys while being presented as speaking in their official capacities. Simon Harris, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise (X post), and Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State, and Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance (X post ) were observed canvassing for candidate Humphreys during what appeared to be working hours.

Ireland Page: 15 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report between public and campaign activities were noted in some cases, in others, the line between the two was indistinguishable to voters, contrary to OSCE Commitments and international good practice. 56 To ensure a clear separation between campaigning and public functions, the legal framework should clearly define the scope of permissible activities by public officials during campaigns. The development of practical guidelines for candidates, parties, and public officials tackling these aspects could facilitate compliance. Several ODIHR EAM interlocutors expressed concern about the growing prevalence of toxic, aggressive, and intimidating discourse targeting candidates and other public figures. Two of the three initial candidates, Jim Gavin and Heather Humphreys, publicly voiced concern about the personal and reputational impact of smear campaigns directed at them and their families. Interlocutors noted that while harassment and intimidation occasionally occur offline, such practices are particularly prevalent online. 57 A substantial body of prior research, including by a dedicated Task Force on Safe Participation in Political Life, set up by the parliament , highlighted persistent patterns of abuse and harassment, underscoring that these dynamics are not episodic but reflect a broader, continuing vulnerability in public and political life. 58 Relevant authorities, in co- operation with parliament, parties, and civil society, could consider developing and operationalizing a framework to prevent and address harassment, intimidation, and abuse targeting individuals engaged in political life. This could include incident monitoring and reporting mechanisms, strengthened institutional co-ordination, and support measures to ensure safe participation in public affairs, both offline and online. ODIHR EAM interlocutors also noted an increase in rhetoric containing elements of incitement to violence and hatred, including racist, misogynistic, and intolerant speech targeting persons with intersecting vulnerable backgrounds, especially online. 59 At the same time, reports and prosecution of such offenses were seen as not reflecting its prevalence due to the lack of comprehensive data and underreporting linked to perceived futility. 60 Although the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 strengthened protections against hate crimes, it did not address incitement to violence or hatred, leaving regulation to the 1989 Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act. 61 Despite past national and international 56 Paragraph 5.4 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document provides for “ a clear separation between the State and political parties; in particular, political parties will not be merged with the State.” Paragraph 4.2 of the ODIHR and the Venice Commission Joint Guidelines on Preventing and Responding to the Misuse of Administrative Resources during Electoral Processes r sensitive public positions, in particular senior management positions, and candidacy”. 57 The police intervened in one instance of an assault on two of women canvassers for Connolly. 58 According to the CnaM’s review and the Task Force on Safe Participation in Political Life’s survey, 60 per cent of candidates in the 2024 general and local elections and 73 per cent of elected representatives and political staff encountered offensive or threatening online behaviou r. A report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the Hope and Courage Collective recorded 55 incidents of politically motivated violence, threats, and harassment, 90 per cent of which occurred on social networks . See also European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Ireland’s 25 October 2025 preliminary findings. 59 Among other instances of abusive discourse reported to the ODIHR EAM, one public figure belonging to intersecting vulnerable groups shared multiple examples of hateful messages on X that were flagged but either received no response or were not addressed anddeemed compliant with platform standards. 60 Research by the Immigrant Council regarding 2024 local elections found that many candidates facing racism, hateful rhetoric, and harassment did not report incidents, with 47 per cent believing it would not change anything and 59 per cent of those who did, reporting no or inadequate police follow-up. Similarly, the CnaM’s review found that 59 per cent of local and 42 per cent of general election candidates did not report abusive or hateful content to platforms, doubting effective handling. 61 International standards encourage States to regulate inciteful speech consistently with ICCPR Articles 19 and 20(2), EU Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA, and Council of Europe instruments such as Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(97)20 and ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 15, while treaty bodies under CEDAW and CRPD, as well as ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 7, underline the importance of ensuring protection against hatred targeting women, persons with disabilities and other groups facing discrimination.

Ireland Page: 16 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report calls for strengthened speech regulations, the list of protected characteristics remains incomplete. 62 The Act also requires proof of intent to incite hatred, rather than only its harmful effect, limiting its practical enforceability and effectiveness. 63 Authorities should strengthen the legislation on inciteful speech, including by expanding the list of protected characteristics to align with national equality laws and international standards. Institutional responsibilities for monitoring and enforcement, including during electoral periods, could be clarified and better co-ordinated. C. O NLINE CAMPAIGN ENVIRONMENT The online domain played a major role in the campaign, with candidates, parties and supporters actively using social networks to reach voters. 64 The ODIHR EAM’s monitoring of the online campaign showed Ms. Connolly garnering the highest engagement with a total of 1,329,706 likes and 291,200 followers across four platforms, compared to Humphreys’ 238,687 likes and 52,214 followers. 65 The most common themes in posts concerned candidates’ probity, personal conduct, and character, followed by the topic of alleged unfairness or illegitimacy of the nomination process. Candidate s’ posts were systematically more positive and less adversarial than those of parties, politicians, and actors such as the online media outlet The Ditch and the Spoil The Vote campaign. Negative or adversarial organic posts on X were strongly correlated with higher engagement. Unlike other candidates, Connolly made extensive use of podcasts as an important campaign tool, making more than nine appearances. Candidates pursued different online paid advertising strategies. Connolly ran more targeted and diverse campaigns with smaller per-ad spending and higher overall volume, while Gavin and Humphreys relied on fewer and less targeted ads. The decisions by Google and Meta to stop delivering paid political ads in the EU in a reaction to the impending entry into force of the TTPA took effect a short period into the electoral campaign, at the end of September and beginning of October, respectively. Based on ODIHR EAM data collected before the bans on paid ads went into force, the candidates’ overall spending levels were broadly similar. 66 Several interlocutors viewed the bans as problematic, noting that they deprived contestants of legal avenues for effective digital outreach channels and may have incentivized circumvention, including through third parties or ads disguised as non-political content, or the creation of more polarizing content favoured by platform algorithms. Concerns about misinformation were most pronounced early in the campaign, linked to one announced but not formally pursued candidacy, and peaked shortly before election day with the circulation of AI- generated deepfakes, which were flagged by the Electoral Commission and others and subsequently 62 The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act covers race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, membership of the Travelling community and sexual orientation as protected characteristics, but does not include grounds such as gender, disability, age or civil and family status, which various national and international actors have proposed adding. 63 In its October 2025 report , the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) reiterated its past calls to pass strengthened hate speech legislation “as a matter of priority” and noted the lack of comprehensive data on investigations, prosecution, convictions, and sentencing. Ireland is also facing an infringement procedure from the European Commission for not transposing the 2008 Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia. In August, the Coalition Against Hate Crime involving over 20 CSOs renewed past calls on the state to strengthen protections against “hate speech” and on technology companies to monitor, remove, and prevent its spread on their platforms. 64 The CnaM’s Digital News Report Ireland 2024 found that 59 per cent of adults used Facebook, 42 per cent Instagram, 22 per cent TikTok, and 21 per cent X. According to CnaM’s research, 95 per cent of candidates in the 2024 local and general elections used social networks to advance their campaigns. 65 The monitoring covered the period from 3 September to 24 October, yielding a dataset of 3,282 observations covering 41 accounts of candidates, parties, public figures and commentators across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. No data on followers or likes was available for Jim Gavin due to the deletion of his social media accounts immediately after his withdrawal. 66 Based on Meta’ s Ad Library data for the period from 3 September to 24 October, Gavin spent an estimated EUR 14,289, Connolly EUR 18,950, and Humphreys EUR 22,132.

Ireland Page: 17 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report removed by Meta and Alphabet; X labelled them as manipulated. 67 This included an AI-generated video styled as a public broadcaster’s news report that falsely depicted Catherine Connolly announcing her withdrawal from the race and the election being cancelled, with her rival set to assume the presidency. With its statutory powers on mis-/disinformation not yet in force, the Commission relied on a voluntary co-operation framework with platforms that was established in 2024. It also tracked misleading or false content that could affect electoral integrity, primarily to proactively counter such narratives through the dissemination of fact ual information. 68 As the DSC, CnaM pursues a risk- based supervision and enforcement strategy for illegal content online under the DSA and national online safety provisions, working in close co-operation with the European Commission and other DSCs in overseeing systemic risks. While it enables users to file complaints, they are advised to first flag problematic content to the platforms and contact the CnaM in case of unsatisfactory handling or inaction. 69 Having no authority to provide real-time or individual remedies , complaints filed with CnaM served to inform its longer-term risk mitigation oversight, such as its ongoing review of accessibility of platforms’ notice-and-action mechanisms under DSA Article 16. CnaM did not report issuing any compliance notices or opening formal investigations in 2024 or during the 2025 campaign period. In the four weeks around the election, platforms and CSOs who signed the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation co-operated through its Rapid Response System. This mechanism was welcomed as a useful and functioning format for regular exchanges on emerging issues, trends and concerns, and for prioritized handling of misinformation-related cases. However, several civil society and contestant representatives voiced doubts about the broader effectiveness of holding platforms accountable through user or CSO content flagging. 70 There was a prevalent sentiment that most of the content flagged as illegal, harmful, misleading, or non- compliant with the platforms’ own standards did not result in meaningful action, fostering a sense of resignation and the perception that such user-platform collaboration was largely futile. 71 In this context, the EU-wide mechanism for independent out-of-court dispute settlement (ODS) under the DSA is gaining prominence as a channel for users and organizations to challenge platform decisions. The Appeals Center Europe (ACE), certified by CnaM in September 2024, had by August 2025 issued 50 decisions related to Ireland, mostly concerning account suspension or restriction, bullying and harassment, and hateful speech and conduct. 72 67 EDMO Ireland’s September 2025 report found that 58 per cent of posts by Mr. Conor McGregor, who announced but did not pursue candidacy, carried false claims about the presidency, Constitution and historical events . 68 The Electoral Commission also followed other misinformation threads, some seen as linked to bot activity with limited human circulation. In collaboration with the Electoral Commission, Facebook and TikTok directed users searching for election-related content to official information and media-literacy resources. 69 Jointly with the police, CnaM developed an information pack informing candidates in elections about how to report illegal or harmful content online to different responsible institutions and platforms. Ahead of the election, CnaM held a roundtable with platforms to discuss risk mitigation strategies. 70 Presently no CSO is authorized as a ‘trusted flagger’ by the CnaM as the DSC. 71 In its 25 October 2025 preliminary findings on platforms’ compliance with the DSA during this election, EDMO Ireland reported weak enforcement, with inconsistent and largely reactive responses to flagged content, often with no visible action. In its May 2025 submission to the European Commission, INAR expressed concern that the moderation burden had shifted towards CSOs and called on other CSOs to withdraw from ‘trusted flagger’ voluntary co-operation mechanisms with online platforms, citing their ineffectiveness in addressing ‘recommender’ algorithms as the structural facilitator of engagement-driven toxicity. 72 According to its Transparency Report, ACE issued default decisions in favou r of complaints in the majority of cases due to lack of responses from the platforms. Where content was provided by the platforms and reviewed, ACE upheld the platforms’ decisions in more than 6 out of 10 disputes. ODS bodies’ decisions are not binding. Ireland ranked fourth across the EU based on the number of eligible disputes per capita.

Ireland Page: 18 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report IX. CAMPAIGN FINANCE The 1997 Electoral Act regulates both campaign and political finance. Amendments adopt ed in 2022 updated rules on political donations and enhanced the investigative and enforcement powers concerning financial accountability. 73 Overall, the legislation provides an adequate framework for the regulation and oversight of campaign finance. ODIHR EAM interlocutors assessed the campaign finance regulation as providing a sufficient level of transparency and accountability . However, the 1997 Electoral Act has been amended numerous times and is not available in a consolidated form, which affects legal clarity and accessibility. A. I NCOME AND EXPENDITURE Campaigns can be financed from public and private sources. Candidates who are elected or receive more than one-quarter of the quota (12.5 per cent) of the vote are eligible for reimbursement of campaign expenses, up to a maximum of EUR 250,000. 74 Candidates may also send one campaign communication to each household via post free of charge. 75 Political parties may endorse candidates by funding their campaigns, but only with private funds. 76 Private campaign contributions are well regulated. Donations are subject to significant statutory limitations based on the origin, type, and amount of funds accepted, and may include monetary and in- kind contributions, fundraising proceeds and loans. 77 Candidates may accept donations from citizens and legal entities; foreign donations are prohibited unless the individual donor is an Irish citizen or the legal entity maintains a functioning office on the island of Ireland. 78 Anonymous donations are permitted up to EUR 100, whereas cash donations and donations from non- registered corporate donors are capped at EUR 200 per calendar year. 79 Cryptocurrency donations are prohibited. 73 The 2022 Electoral Reform Act added a new definition of cryptocurrency along with a general ban on accepting donations in cryptocurrency form. It also introduced new accounting and reporting obligations for the regular activities of political parties, including the preparation of consolidated annual statements of accounts. 74 The reimbursement cap was increased from EUR 200,000 to EUR 250,000 ahead of this election due to the rise in the Consumer Price Index by the order of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. A candidate who qualifies for reimbursement is not required to pass on any part of the reimbursement to any political party. 75 Postage costs are covered from the state funding ; however, the cost of producing campaign materials – such as leaflets – is considered an election expense and must be borne by the candidate. 76 State funding of political parties is intended solely for specific non- electoral activities, such as the general conduct and management of party affairs and the lawful pursuit of party objectives. According to the Exchequer Funding of Political Parties in 2023 & 2024 report by t SIPO , all qualified political parties received a total of approximately EUR 6.5 million in 2024, with the largest beneficiaries being Fianna Fáil (EUR 1.6 million) and Fine Gael (EUR 1.5 million). To be considered a "qualified political party", a party must be registered and its candidates must have received at least 2 percent of the total first- preference votes cast for all candidates in the most recent Dáil election. Public funding is also provided through the Parliamentary Activities Allowance (PAA) to parliamentary leaders of political parties and, separately, to independent members of the parliament , as set out in the 2014 Oireachtas Act. 77 An in-kind donation is defined as any donation of property or goods with the right to use them free of charge, or the difference between the usual commercial price and the actual price paid. Property, goods, or services provided free of charge or below cost price during the electoral period are regarded as in-kind donations. Such donations must be declared and valued at the usual commercial price for the purchase, use, or acquisition of the property or goods, or for the supply of the service donated. This can also include a loan provided by a third party or a financial institution at terms more favorable than those available in the normal course of business. 78 The same rules apply to political parties , partnerships , or lobby groups. 79 A donation is deemed anonymous if a donor’s name and address are unknown. If a prohibited donation is received, a candidate must notify SIPO within 14 days and remit the donation to it. C orporate donors, including political parties other than the candidate’s own, may contribute more than EUR 200 if they are registered in the Registry of Corporate Donors and have received formal approval. Any cash donation or donation from a non-registered corporate donor that exceeds EUR 200, must be returned to the donor or remit the donation or the part that exceeds the limit to the SIPO.

Ireland Page: 19 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report Candidates may obtain loans from financial institutions, other entities, or individuals under standard market conditions. 80 The maximum donation from a single donor is EUR 1,000 per calendar year. 81 There is no aggregate ceiling on the total campaign contributions, nor any limit on candidates’ personal contributions to their own campaign. Some ODIHR EAM interlocutors described the ceilings as low but reasonable and noted that a significant number of anonymous donations remain unaccounted for. 82 Third parties may engage in campaign activities by promoting or opposing candidates in the presidential election and may accept donations under the same regulatory framework that applies to presidential candidates, except that the donation limit is set at EUR 2,500 per donor per calendar year. 83 There is no aggregate ceiling on campaign income for third parties. Overall, the restrictions on campaign contributions, including the low donation limits per donor, provide adequate safeguards. Although the absence of aggregate ceilings on anonymous donations runs contrary to international good practice, this is somewhat counterbalanced by the requirement that donations exceeding EUR 100 must be made via bank transfer and by the cap of EUR 200 on cash donations. 84 The expenditure limit for candidates is set at EUR 750,000. 85 While the use of publicly funded property, services, or facilities for election purposes is not prohibited, any associated costs must be accounted for as an election expense and reimbursed to the appropriate provider. 86 Election expenses incurred by political parties and third parties campaigning on behalf of a candidate are counted toward the candidate’s expenditure limit. 87 However, there is no expenditure limit for third parties who campaign independently. Some ODIHR EAM interlocutors mentioned several third parties whose activities may have been campaign-related. 88 Each candidate must appoint an election agent to manage and account for campaign expenditure. 89 The law provides a detailed list of what constitutes election expenses incurred during the specified election 80 If the financing conditions for loans are more beneficial than standard market conditions, then the benefit to the candidate may be regarded as a donation subject to limitations in terms of disclosure and maximum limits. 81 Multiple donations made by the same donor to a candidate in a given year, must be aggregated to ensure compliance with the limit. The limit also applies to monetary donations from the candidate’s own political party. 82 Ms. Connol ly’s agent informed the ODIHR EAM that all donations, including anonymous donations under EUR 100 to her campaign, are recorded even though it is not an obligation according to the regulations. 83 A third party is defined as any individual or group other than a registered political party or candidate who, in a particular calendar year, accepts a donation for political purposes exceeding EUR 100. Where a third party receives such a donation and before incurring any expenses for political purposes, it must notify SIPO of its credentials, the name of the responsible person, the estimated amount of donations and proposed expenses for the year, and indicate any connection with a candidate in an election. Third parties not connected to a candidate must still notify SIPO of their intent to incur election expenses. 84 Paragraph 212 of the 2020 ODIHR and Venice Commission Joint Guidelines on Political Party Regulation (Joint Guidelines on Political Party Regulation) provides that “[a]nonymous donations should be strictly regulated, including through a limit on the aggregate allowable amount of all anonymous donations. (...) Another means to avoid undue influence from unknown sources is to state in relevant legislation that donations above a certain (low) amount shall be made through bank transfer, bank check or bank credit card, to ensure their traceability in terms of amount and sources.“ 85 The expenditure limit remain s the same as in the 2018 presidential election. ODIHR EAM interlocutors indicated that change was unnecessary, as the highest recorded election expenses in the 2018 election did not exceed EUR 400,000. 86 The ODIHR EAM learned that certain institutions, such as the parliament , maintain a price list for this purpose. 87 Prior notification to SIPO is required before a third party incurs any election expenses if it intends to campaign. 88 Among the indicated ones were the Spoil The Vote campaign that called on voters to spoil their votes on election day and the Life Institute which allegedly was linked to the former. The ODIHR EAM was informed by the oversight authority that Spoil the Vote had completed an application with SIPO as an “Other Person” for the presidential election, and that the Life Institute had been contacted by SIPO in this regard. Definitions of “third party” and “other person” are somewhat overlapping, however, the latter definition is used in the context when such persons are not connected to a candidate or a political party. 89 Candidates may act as their own agents. The agent should be appointed before any election expenses are incurred.

Ireland Page: 20 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report period. 90 While election expenses are generally defined by reference to the formal “ election period”, certain expenditures incurred or planned outside this window are intentionally excluded from accounting and spending limits, contrary to international good practice. 91 Some ODIHR EAM interlocutors indicated that considerable expenses are incurred by political parties , intending to nominate a candidate, before the official start of the official election period and that such expenses are typically accounted for in the political party’s annual returns. Lax regulation and interpretation of pre- electoral expenses may weaken accountability and undermine the effective enforcement of expenditure limits and overall transparency. 92 To ensure due accountability, clarity, and proper enforcement of expenditure limits, regulations governing pre-electoral campaign spending should be reviewed and clarified to cover all election- related expenses. B. D ISCLOSURE AND OVERSIGHT Candidates who receive monetary donations exceeding EUR 100 in a calendar year are required to open and maintain a dedicated political donations account. 93 This account is not public and may be disclosed by a court order or in a course of investigation by SIPO. Candidates are required to disclose any individual donation exceeding EUR 600 or the aggregated donations from the same donor exceeding that amount. While post-election financial disclosure mechanisms are in place, there is no requirement for interim campaign finance reporting prior to election day. The absence of interim reporting limits voters’ access to official information on campaign income and expenditure, at odds with international good practice. 94 To enhance transparency, consideration should be given to introducing interim campaign finance reporting requirements to ensure that voters have access to timely and comprehensive information prior to election day. 90 Items excluded from the definition of election expenses include minor expenses incurred by paid campaign workers, not exceeding EUR 126.97, provided these are covered from their resources and not reimbursed by the election agent; the use of office owned by a political party that are made available to a candidate during the election, etc. 91 The election period r an from 3 September to 24 October, inclusive. Expenses outside the election period that do not need to be accounted for include: promotional material circulated by candidates or political parties before 3 September; rent costs for campaign premises incurred before 3 September; ‘thank you’ notices circulated after the election; the removal of posters. Paragraph 262 of the Joint Guidelines on Political Party Regulation states that “(a) party may attempt to circumvent campaign finance regulations by conducting activities during a “pre- electoral” period or by utilizing other entities or persons as conduits for funds or services. To limit this abuse, strong systems for financial reporting by political parties outside of elections must be enacted. Legislation should provide clear rules and guidelines regarding which activities are not allowed during the pre-election campaign, and what income and expenditures for such activities during this time should be regarded as campaign resources subject to proper review and sanction.” 92 Article 10 of Recommendation Rec(2003)4 of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on common rules against corruption in the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns s particular records to be kept of all expenditure, direct and indirect, on electoral campaigns in respect of each political party, each list of candidates and each candidate.“ 93 The account must be opened in a financial institution in the S tate. The candidate is required to deposit any subsequent monetary donations, regardless of their value, into that account. A bank statement detailing all account transactions made from the date of opening until polling day must be submitted to SIPO post -election financial report. 94 Article 7.3 of the UNCAC provides that states take measures “to enhance transparency in the funding of candidatures for elected public office”. Part I. 2.3d of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission 2002 Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters ( recommends : “Political party, candidates and election campaign funding must be transparent.” Paragraph 261 of the Joint Guidelines on Political Party Regulation states that ”It is good practice to require the following reports: [...]Reports providing oversight bodies and the public with preliminary information on campaign incomes and expenses of parties and candidates several days before election day”. See also paragraph 247.

Ireland Page: 21 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report Each candidate must submit a campaign finance report to SIPO within 56 days after the election, including statements on donations and expenses. 95 The paper-based reporting forms are approved by the oversight authority and sent to candidates; many are completed by hand and submitted by post. 96 All reports, regardless of the quality of completion, are published as scanned documents in machine- non-readable formats, limiting data comparability and falling short of international good practice. 97 Many ODIHR EAM interlocutors strongly supported the need for the digitalization of financial reporting. To enhance the comprehensiveness, comparability, and transparency of campaign finance reporting, consideration could be given to introducing online reporting. By law, independent third parties that incur election expenses are subject to adhere to the same post- election reporting deadline and must submit a statement detailing all such expenses. All third parties are required to submit a bank statement regarding their donations account specifying all transactions by 31 March each year. 98 There is no requirement to make these reports public, which undermines the overall transparency. 99 To strengthen transparency and accountability, the legislation should require that third-party financing disclosures be made publicly available online in a timely and accessible manner. SIPO oversees campaign finances and has extensive investigative and consultative powers, including the authority to issue legally binding guidelines to candidates, third parties, and other stakeholders. 100 It reviews campaign finance reports and examines donation and election expenditure statements and supporting documentation, and allows for corrections in cases of minor errors or omissions. 101 The law does not specify deadlines for the review or publication of these reports, nor does it require an independent audit. 102 Some ODIHR EAM interlocutors noted that oversight focuses primarily on minor infringements, resulting in requests by SIPO to amend the reports rather than investigations of serious irregularities, which they attributed to a lack of resources. Regardless of the institutional arrangements for campaign finance oversight, the competent authority should be provided with sufficient financial, technical, and human resources to ensure effective, comprehensive, and timely oversight of all aspects of campaign finance. 95 These statements must be accompanied by a statutory declaration made by the election agent, affirming their accuracy and correctness. The election expenses statement must be submitted along with invoices, receipts, and vouchers for every payment exceeding EUR 126.97. SIPO also has the right to request supporting documents for any item of expenditure under EUR 126.97, referred to as 'minor expenses'. 96 ODIHR EAM interlocutors reported that, at times, these reports are lost when sent as hard copies by post. 97 Paragraph 258 of the Joint Guidelines on Political Party Regulation states that “Digitalizing information and submitting it to the regulatory body in its digitalized, easily searchable and reusable form can facilitate oversight and therefore minimize the need for paper-based procedures.” See also Paragraph 259. 98 A third party is exempted from this requir ement if it has not received a donation for political purposes in the preceding year and/or has not made any debits from its political donations account during that year. 99 Article 6 of Recommendation Rec(2003)4 of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on common rules against corruption in the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns p donations to political parties […] should also apply, as appropriate, to all entities which are related directly or indirectly to a political party or are otherwise under the control of a political party.” Paragraph 256 of the J

Guidelines on Political Party Regulation s [...] comparable obligations and restrictions as apply to parties and party candidates, be extended to third parties that are involved in the campaign, to ensure transparency and accountability.“ 100 SIPO consists of six members: a Chair (who must be a judge or former judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court), four ex officio members (the Ombudsman, the Clerk of the House of Representatives , the Clerk of the Senate and the Comptroller and Auditor General), and one ordinary member appointed by the Government. Only the Chair and the ordinary member are appointed for a six- year term and may be reappointed. 101 If SIPO identifies a minor error or omission in a statement, it will notify the person who submitted it and allow 14 days from the date of notification to make the correction. 102 According to SIPO , reviewing the reports could take up to six months; however, they aim to upload the reports to their website as soon as they are received. The reports must concurrently be submitted to parliament.

Ireland Page: 22 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report The law provides for a range of gradual sanctions for financial offences, including monetary fines and imprisonment for up to three years. SIPO may directly apply fixed payment notice of EUR 200 and fines up to EUR 2,500 to candidates, election agents and third parties, typically for failure to submit financial reports by the deadline. 103 More serious offences, such as submitting knowingly false or misleading reporting, especially those punishable by imprisonment, are referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The combination of gradual administrative fines and criminal sanctions provides sufficient deterrence against financial violations. However, the ODIHR EAM did not observe any cases of their application, as no complaints were filed and no investigations were initiated in relat ion to campaign financing during the presidential election. 104 X. MEDIA A. M EDIA ENVIRONMENT Ireland’s media landscape is diverse, yet its pluralism faces increasing challenges due to growing concentration of media ownership, which particularly affects radio and regional media sectors. 105 Current legislation sets no quantitative ceiling on the overall market share that a single owner may control, nor does it include safeguards to protect editorial independence. 106 Information on media ownership is freely available in databases supported by the media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM). To protect media plurality, legislators could consider introducing ceiling s for media ownership or alternative safeguards against ownership concentration. Positively, trust in news in Ireland is higher than average for the European Union (51 per cent vs 39 per cent). 107 Internet penetration is high, at 97 per cent. Online media, including social networking platforms, have become the main source of political information, followed by television. Radio and local newspapers continue to play a significant role, particularly outside the capital. Irish broadsheets continue to perform reasonably well, including in attracting digital subscriptions. At the same time, local newspapers are increasingly consolidated into national media groups, and their websites act as secondary vehicles for national news of the same outlet. In response to declining advertising revenues that affect media sustainability, the state has launched targeted funding to strengthen public interest journalism. 108 These initiatives are due to be consolidated into a broader, platform-neutral media support fund in the future. Television broadcasting is dominated by three organisations. The public service broadcasters (PSB) are Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) and Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4), which provide Irish-language 103 SIPO explained to the ODIHR EAM that if a fixed payment notice is not paid, it may initiate summary proceedings against the offender that will result in higher sanctions. 104 SIPO informed the ODIHR EAM that the only case concerned a notification from a political party regarding the Spoil The Vote campaign, and that the proceedings were ongoing. 105 Paragraph 3.4 of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)1 of the of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to member States on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership reads that “ ownership regulation can include restrictions on horizontal, vertical and cross-media ownership, including by determining thresholds”. 106 The only restriction is the number of licences one can own in the radio sector which is set at 25 percent of titles. Bauer Media Audio Ireland has reached this limit. Apart from its own stations, Bauer’s “Newstalk” radio correspondent provides political reporting to 29 regional radio stations around the country. 107 The statistical information is sourced from “Digital News Report Ireland, 2025” . 108 In 2025, the S tate awarded EUR 5.7 million in open competition to local democracy and court reporting schemes. The funds were supposed to create or maintain more than 100 journalistic roles. New funding schemes, expected in 2026, are aimed at digital transformation and other issues.

Ireland Page: 23 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report programming. TG4 depends on RTÉ for its news service and does not control its own editorial output. 109 In addition to the nationwide commercial broadcaster Virgin Media Television, audiences also have access to a wide range of UK-based television channels. RTÉ is funded by the television licence fee and by commercial activities. Due to the changing media consumption habits and controversies over RTÉ’s financial accountability, the broadcasters’ revenues regularly fall short of the projected income. 110 Successive governments have failed to establish a sustainable funding mechanism, resulting in periodic funding crises and several rounds of redundancies. Most recently, the government provided direct three- year state funding to bridge the gap and is preparing a reform of its funding of public service broadcasting, aimed at introducing multi-year financing and giving the media regulator a greater role in proposing the broadcaster’s budget. However, unless the reformed funding level is tied to objective criteria (such as GDP growth or inflation) and unless the annual licence fee collectio n mechanisms are strengthened, the RTÉ will continue to depend on political decisions. The authorities should establish a funding mechanism for public service media that provides adequate and predictable multi-year financing that is sufficiently remove from government and protects the editorial independence of the public service broadcasters. Threats against journalists, both online and offline, are taken seriously and prosecuted. Journalists have reported increased threats during demonstrations as well as online. The Media Engagement Group, which consists of representatives from the media industry and police, meets regularly to address safety concerns, and it provides a focal point for channelling emerging threats to media professionals. B. L EGAL FRAMEWORK The Constitution requires the state to guarantee freedom of expression and the press. Access to information is regulated under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but several ODIHR EAM interlocutors characterised it as outdated and unfit for the digital media environment. The exemption of the Áras (the office of the president) from the FOIA was pointed out as problematic and incompatible with transparency and accountability. 111 To strengthen accountability, the authorities could consider extending freedom of information legislation to cover all public bodies. At the time of writing this report, several legislative proposals we re being developed, including on market concentration, transparency of state advertising, and governance of the public service media. The reform of the defamation regime remains under consideration in the Senate. The current system is widely recognised as problematic because it provides no safeguards against abusive litigation and sets no statutory limits or criteria for jury-awarded damages. Media organisations routinely retain lawyers to examine potential defamation cases against them and assess the costs before such cases are filed. Taken together, these factors may threaten the financial viability, and even the existence, of media organisations. Consequently, the media resort to precautionary out-of-court settlements and are occasionally unable to fully report on certain subjects, an example of which during this election campaign was brought to the attention of the ODIHR EAM. 109 RTÉ has two main TV channels and numerous specialized ones, Radio 1, 2FM , Irish language radio station Raidio na Gaeltachta, classic music station Lyric FM , online portal www.rte.ie, and several apps for content distribution. 110 The annual licence fee is payable by all households in possession of a TV set. It has remained at the same rate of EUR 160 for the last 17 years. In 2023, the evasion rate was listed as 13 per cent. 111 Freedom of Information Act provides a blanket ban on “a record related to the President”. Information about the expenditure of the office of the president can be audited by relevant state bodies and examined by the parliamentary Committee of Public Accounts, i.e. there is some degree of transparency.

Ireland Page: 24 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report The draft Defamation (Amendment) bill introduces some safeguards countering strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and foresees the abolition of juries in High Court defamation cases. However, it would not entirely solve the issue of disproportionate legal costs for such lawsuits. Consideration should be given to establishing proportionate caps on damages in defamation cases and introducing mechanisms to limit litigation costs, ensuring that compensation for reputational harm remains fair while preventing the financial burden of defamation proceedings from threatening media viability. The broadcasting sector is governed by the 2009 Broadcasting Act, which determines fairness, objectivity, and impartiality as guiding principles. These principles are elaborated into standards set out in a code prepared by the media regulator. 112 Before each election, the CnaM issues specific coverage guidelines that media representatives described to the ODIHR EAM as being clear and informed by media industry feedback and past experience. For this election, the CnaM replaced the 24- hour reporting moratorium before elections with a mandatory period of “additional care,” requiring heightened precautions to prevent sudden or unverified information from unduly influencing voters. The CnaM guidelines allow reasonable discretion in implementation. Broadcasters are for example allowed to choose whether to allocate airtime on a strictly equal or proportionate basis. The stations monitor the airtime allocation themselves. Political advertising is forbidden in broadcast media but allowed in print media, online and outdoors (subject to clear labelling). Registered political parties can request free airtime for party political broadcasts (PPBs), but no one did so because no presidential candidate was nominated exclusively by a single political party. Broadcasters told the ODIHR EAM that political parties prefer to spend money on social-media videos, as they are perceived as a better return on their investment. The CnaM informed the ODIHR EAM that it had received 3 complaints about coverage of this presidential campaign and said the initial assessment on whether they are admissible would take at least two months. In a case of persistent and serious breaches, such timeline does not offer timely redress. Consideration could be given to establishing a temporary fast-track mechanism during electoral periods to swiftly handle media complaints and ensure timely remedies. Online and print media are self-regulated, including during a campaign. 113 Complaints about their conduct would be reviewed by the Press Ombudsman, and, on appeal, the Press Council. C. M EDIA COVERAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN Presidential candidates had ample opportunity to present their platforms in several debates in which they were being vigorously questioned by journalists. However, the cosy relationship between news and public relation industries, with constant migration of professionals between them, was pointed out as a potential trust issue towards political reporting, as manifested also in this campaign. 114 Most media attention focused on key policy concerns – such as the housing shortage or Ireland’s neutrality and foreign policy – as well as candidates ’ past actions that spoke to character and judgment. Several interlocutors described the intensely personal and often negative focus of the coverage as 112 CnaM adopted Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs in December 2024. It was followed by Guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Electoral Events in September, 2025. They do not apply to print, social media, audio-visual on-demand media services or online print/audiovisual content. 113 Draft legislation suggests applying the same principles to broadcasters as to public service media online output. 114 Shortly after election day it was revealed that Ivan Yates, an ex-politician working as political commentator during the campaign, had provided media training to Mr. Gavin and never disclosed it neither to the Newstalk management, nor to audience.

Ireland Page: 25 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report inevitable, noting that since the president is exempt from FOIA requests, the campaign represents the only period during which a candidate’s views, conduct, and finances can be subject to public scrutiny. Two fact-checking outlets – RTÉ’s Clarity and privately-owned The Journal – published explainers on the most pressing issues of the campaign or refuted disinformation related to the electoral process. RTÉ convened a working group to establish the principles for election coverage and met regularly to check compliance. 115 In addition, it issued guidance to all staff and external collaborators, instructing them to refrain from expressing views about the candidates, their supporters, or campaign issues on social media for the duration of the campaign. Since there were only two candidates remaining in the campaign after 5 October, broadcasters divided airtime equally and balanced it across all news and current affairs programmes. However, the combination of numerous debates and one-to-one interviews on the one hand, and only two participants on the other, resulted in repetitive coverage, with the similar questions and responses recurring. RTÉ’s debates were subtitled in real time to ensure accessibility for viewers with hearing impairments. The Irish-language public broadcaster TG4 broadcast political coverage prepared by RTE because it does not yet have an editorially independent news service or online news portal. It chose not to host debates, as only one candidate was a fluent Irish speaker; an Irish-language debate would have disadvantaged the other candidate. According to the channel, past attempts at subtitling or providing real-time translation had drawn negative viewer feedback. XI. ELECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION The Constitution guarantees the independence of the judiciary. The court system includes district courts, circuit courts, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. 116 There is no constitutional court; constitutional matters are dealt with by the High Court with possible appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Election dispute resolution is administered exclusively through the court system. The 1992 Presidential Elections Act establishes jurisdiction of the High Court to adjudicate electoral petitions on the validity of an election. High Court decisions can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court as final instance. No deadline is provided for filing and adjudicating cases in front of the Supreme Court. The law provides that a presidential election may be challenged on the ground of specific offences related to voter and candidate registration, campaigning, voting and counting, and the election outcome. 117 Grounds for challenge include obstruction, interference with or hindrance of the electoral process, as well as mistakes or other irregularities which, if established, could have affected the result of an election. 118 The latter notion puts a high burden of proof on the petitioner. 119 115 RTÉ Policies and Guidelines outline the editorial and campaign coverage principles that RTÉ applies across its election reporting, including arrangements to co- ordinate overall electoral coverage in accordance with regulatory guidance on fairness, objectivity and impartiality. 116 The High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court are sitting in Dublin. However, the High Court can travel around the country to hear cases. Judges are appointed by the President upon advice of the Government. 117 Section 59 of the 1993 Presidential Elections Act makes reference to various electoral offices including personation, bribery; undue influence; breach of the secrecy; offences relating to nomination and ballot papers; disorderly conduct at election meetings; campaign materials disclosure violations; officials acting as agent of candidate or furthering a candidature; violent obstruction of nomination or polling; interference with or destruction of postal ballot papers; unlawful voting; and unlawful marking of ballot papers by persons acting as companions. 118 Penalties for those electoral offences range from EUR 1,000 to EUR 2,500 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a period from six months to two years, or both a fine and imprisonment. 119 See Hanafin v. Minister for the Environment [1996] 2 IR 321 “ Consistent with civil law principles, the burden rested on the petitioner to establish, on the balance of probabilities, that the governmental interference materially affected the referendum’s outcome.”

Ireland Page: 26 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report A presidential electoral petition can only be lodged by the Director of Public Prosecutions, candidates, or their agents. Such limitation on legal standing is not in line with international standards and good practice. 120 In line with international standards and good electoral practice, consideration should be given to broadening the legal standing for lodging election petitions in courts. A petition must be filed within seven days from the declaration of the election results. While the law sets no deadlines for hearing and adjudicating petitions, it requires the High Court to prioritize those cases. 121 The election dispute resolution system is widely accepted and generally regarded as functional by stakeholders. However, it does not legally guarantee prompt redress according to the electoral timeline and might therefore infringe on voters’ rights. 122 To fully comply with international good practice, consideration could be given to legislate deadlines for adjudication of petitions in order to guarantee the timely review of election-related disputes, including those related to the candidate nominations. Filing a petition requires a monetary deposit of EUR 6,250; the sum is intended to cover any costs of court proceedings. The High Court may lower the amount under specific circumstances. 123 While a substantive monetary deposit might prevent frivolous and spurious litigation, it is not entirely consistent with international standards, as a high financial threshold may discourage legitimate challenges and limit the right of legal redress. 124 A prior ODIHR recommendation to review this practice remained unaddressed. Consideration could be given to revising the size of the monetary deposit for filing election petitions to ensure that legitimate rights could be defended in court while discouraging spurious appeals. Prior to election day, the High Court heard two cases brought forward by individuals alleging that Deputy Prime Minister and Fine Gael party leader Simon Harris had given unlawful instructions to the party’s local councillors to block the nomination of independent candidates, thereby rendering the entire presidential candidate nomination process unconstitutional. On 20 October, the Court heard and dismissed the first motion against the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Attorney General. 125 A similar claim was dismissed on 23 October. 126 In both cases, the Court held that Article 12.4 of the Constitution clearly sets out the 120 The 1990 OSCE Conference on the Human Document (Copenhagen Document), para. 5.10 states that “ everyone will have an effective means of redress against administrative decisions, so as to guarantee respect for fundamental rights and ensure legal integrity.” The Paragraph 99 of the Explanatory Report to the Code of Good Practice states that: “Standing in (…) appeals must be granted as widely as possible. It must be open to every elector in the constituency and to every candidate standing for election there to lodge an appeal.” See also Art. 2 (3) of the ICCPR, and Article 14 of the ECHR. 121 The Department of Housing informed the ODIHR EAM that courts are mindful of the inauguration date of 11 November 2025 and would aim to adjudicate any post-election petition before that date. 122 See Explanatory Report to the Code of Good Practice, paragraph 93 ”Appeal proceedings should be as brief as possible, in any case concerning decisions to be taken before the elections. (….) This means both that the time limits for appeals must be very short and that the appeal body must make its ruling as quickly as possible. Time limits must, however, be long enough to make an appeal possible, to guarantee the exercise of rights of defence and a reflected decision.” 123 The High Court may lower this amount if it is satisfied that the sum is too high for the petitioner or could cause him or her serious hardship, and it may release the petitioner from any costs of proceedings in relation to the petition. 124 See the Venice Commission’s 2010 Study on Individual Access to Constitutional Justice , paragraph 117, “ The Venice Commission recommends that in view of more comprehensive human rights protection, court fees for individuals ought to be set relatively low and that it should be possible to reduce them according to the financial situation of the applicant. Their primary aim should be to deter obvious abuse.” 125 High Court of Ireland: Byrne vs. The Tánaiste and Ors . See also a commentary on the court ruling. 126 High Court rejects challenge to presidential election nomination process.

Ireland Page: 27 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report nomination criteria and that any intra-party instructions were a political matter and not unlawful or against the Constitution. XII. ELECTION OBSERVATION Presidential candidates and their agents have the right to be present in polling stations during the processing of postal ballots, and the counting of votes. They do not have the right to be present during special voting at nursery homes, hospitals and care institutions. 127 The legislation does not have provisions for election observation, neither citizen nor international, contrary to OSCE commitments. 128 Still in fulfilment of its OSCE commitment to invite international observers, the authorities invited ODIHR to observe the election and provided the mission with unimpeded access to all stages of the electoral process, including on election day. 129 In practice, access of observers to polling stations and counting centres is at the discretion of the presiding officer of the polling station or the RO. The election legislation should be amended to explicitly guarantee the access of citizen and international observers to all aspects of the electoral process, in line with Ireland’s international commitments. Civil society organizations (CSOs) engaged in general advocacy, rather than electoral campaigning, may be required to register with SIPO and become subject to donation limits and restrictions on foreign funding under the Electoral Act. ODIHR recommended narrowing the definition of “political purposes” in 2007, yet the Electoral Act has not been amended in this respect. Several ODIHR EAM interlocutors noted that requiring non- electoral CSOs to register with SIPO constitutes a limitation on freedom of association. 130 There are no legal regulations governing media access to follow the preparations and conduct of elections or the counting process. Returning officers, however, informed that media may be present in polling stations and counting centres including in the national counting centre, but filming and recording require permission from the local returning officers. 131 Nonetheless, the absence of formal regulation on media access may hamper media’s ability to cover the elections. 127 Returning officers in Galway, Dublin city and Dublin County informed the ODIHR EAM that they had denied requests from Electoral Commission observers and candidate agents for access to observe the special voting procedures, explaining that the law does not give them discretion to grant such access. 128 Paragraph 8 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document states that “[t]he participating States consider that the presence of observers, both foreign and domestic, can enhance the electoral process for States in which elections are taking place”. 129 Paragraphs II.3.2.a-b of the Code of Good Practice recommend that “observers should be given the widest possible opportunity to participate in an election observation exercise” and that “observation must not be confined to the election day itself [...]. It must make it possible to determine whether irregularities occurred before, during or after the elections.” 130 The issue is well known to state bodies and has been discussed in documents of international organizations. The Electoral Commission included this question in its Research Programme 2024- 2026 (p.16). See also European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 2017 Report on Challenges facing civil society organizations working on human rights in the EU (p.22) and the 2019 Report on Funding of Associations (p.17) by the Venice Commission. 131 The Memorandum for Local Retuning Officers at the Presidential Election 24 October 2025 addresses the access of media to counting centres and mentions photo- taking by media at polling stations.

Ireland Page: 28 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report XIII. ELECTION DAY AND COUNTING A. O PENING, VOTING, AND CLOSING In line with the ODIHR methodology, the ODIHR EAM did not conduct a comprehensive and systematic observation of election-day proceedings but visited a limited number of polling stations in Dublin city and county on election day. ODIHR EAM observers were granted full access throughout the process. Nearly all polling premises visited were accessible to persons with physical disabilities for independent access. In the polling stations, visited by the ODIHR EAM procedures were generally followed. Polling station staff generally performed their duties in a professional and efficient manner. Voters with disabilities requiring assistance were, as a rule, supported in a respectful and appropriate manner. All polling stations visited were equipped with booths with a lower surface for wheelchair users and ballot paper templates for vision- impaired voters. After the closing, the sealed ballot boxes were collected and transferred to the local counting centre for overnight safekeeping. B. C OUNTING The ODIHR EAM was present during the opening of the ballot boxes and the counting of votes in five counting centres in Dublin city and county on 25 October. The counting was conducted in a transparent and professional manner by approximately 25- 30 two- person counting teams under the supervision of the local RO or a designated deputy or assistant RO. There was a notable presence of candidate agents (‘tallymen’) representing candidates Connolly and Humphreys, as well as media representatives and members of the public. Their presence added to the transparency of the counting process. Ballots were counted with the marked preference facing upward, which allowed the candidate agents to gauge levels of support for their candidate. Agents were invited to review the disputed ballot papers before they were stamped “Rejected”. The number of invalid votes was unusually high, 12.9 per cent. This was largely attributed to the late withdrawal of candidate Gavin from the race, which led some to spoil their ballots intentionally or inadvertently. 132 The number of ballots invalidated due to the absence of the official stamp – attributable to errors by presiding officers when issuing ballots – was 816, compared to 1,956 in the 2024 general election. Despite the lower figure, this still highlights the need to strengthen training and reinforce adherence to prescribed procedures. C. T ABULATION AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS Results from the 43 constituencies were transmitted electronically to the national counting centre at Dublin Castle. Once verified and accepted, constituency results were announced by the PRO and made publicly available. 133 Results were not available disaggregated by polling station within the constituency, which detracted from the overall transparency. The PRO explained that, as in other national elections, ballots from all polling stations in a constituency are mixed before counting begins. According to ODIHR EAM interlocutors, candidates and their agents are used to a uniform counting process irrespective of the election type, and that there is a high level of trust in the counting and tabulation process. 132 Local returning officers reported that 125,732 or 58.8 percent of the invalid ballots were rejected for containing writing or marks by which the voter could be identified, 55,539 or 26.0 percent – for first preference not being clearly marked, including unmarked ballot papers, 31,651 or 14.8 percent – for containing a first preference clearly indicated for more than one candidate, and 816 votes or 0.4 percent rejected for lack of the official mark. 133 See the website of Ireland’s Presidential Returning Officer for more details.

Ireland Page: 29 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report On 25 October, the PRO announced the final election results and declared Catherine Martina Ann Connolly the winner of the presidential election . Voter turnout was reported at 45.83 per cent. Published voter participation figures were not disaggregated by gender as recommended under CEDAW. 134 XIV. RECOMMENDATIONS These recommendations as contained throughout the text are offered with a view to further enhance the conduct of elections in Ireland and to support efforts to bring them fully in line with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections. ODIHR stands ready to assist the authorities of Ireland to further improve the electoral process and to address the recommendations contained in this report. 135 A. P RIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS 1. To enhance accessibility and facilitate uniform implementation of the electoral legal framework, consideration should be given to formally consolidating the current electoral legislation. 2. To ensure equal suffrage, voter registration and voting procedures for out of country voters should be made uniform for all citizens abroad. 3. Authorities should prioritize completing and operationalizing the digital regulatory arrangements relevant to elections by reviewing, updating and, as appropriate, commencing outstanding provisions of the Electoral Reforms Act in a manner consistent with the EU Digital Services and Digital Single Market rules. This should ensure that the Electoral Commission is vested with effective statutory powers to monitor and address risks related to online content during electoral periods. 4. To enhance transparency, consideration should be given to introducing interim campaign finance reporting requirements to ensure that voters have access to timely and comprehensive information prior to election day. 5. Regardless of the institutional arrangements for campaign finance oversight, the competent authority should be provided with sufficient financial, technical, and human resources to ensure effective, comprehensive, and timely oversight of all aspects of campaign finance. 6. The authorities should establish a funding mechanism for public service media that provides adequate and predictable multi-year financing that is sufficiently remove from government and protects the editorial independence of the public service broadcasters. 7. To fully comply with international good practice, consideration could be given to legislate deadlines for adjudication of petitions in order to guarantee the timely review of election- related disputes, including those related to the candidate nominations. 8. The election legislation should be amended to explicitly guarantee the access of citizen and international observers to all aspects of the electoral process, in line with Ireland’s international commitments. 134 Article 48(d) of the CEDAW Committee General Recommendation No 23 calls for collection of gender disaggregated data on participation in elections and public referendums. 135 In paragraph 25 of the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document , OSCE participating States committed themselves “to follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.

Ireland Page: 30 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report B. O THER RECOMMENDATIONS Political Background 9. Political parties should identify barriers to women’s participation through gender audits, review internal practices and implement measures to address gaps . Legal Framework 10. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage c ould for every electoral event consolidate the relevant statutory instruments into a single document and publish them on its website to avoid uncertainty about the applicable regulatory framework. Election Administration 11. To promote the participation of women in election administration, the presidential returning officer should collect and publish disaggregated data on gender representation of polling and counting staff. 12. To ensure the effective exercise of the right to vote and to strengthen the effectiveness of the accommodation measure, voters should be provided with a reasonable period to request alternative voting arrangements. 13. Training of polling and counting staff could be provided in a more engaging and interactive manner, and training materials should be tailored specifically to the type of election they are intended to cover. 14. The provision for assisted voting should be reconsidered to exclude that the same person including the presiding officer assists multiple voters. The right of voters to be assisted by a person of their choice should be extended to special voting and on election day should not be limited in the final two hours before the closing of the polls. Voter Registration 15. Consideration should be given to waiving all charges associated with medical certification imposed on persons applying for postal voting due to illness or disability. Candidate Registration 16. The legislation should be amended to afford prospective candidates the explicit right to correct mistakes or omissions in their nomination papers prior to the ruling on nominations. Electoral Campaign 17. To ensure a clear separation between campaigning and public functions, the legal framework should clearly define the scope of permissible activities by public officials during campaigns. The development of practical guidelines for candidates, parties, and public officials tackling these aspects could facilitate compliance. 18. Relevant authorities, in co- operation with parliament, parties, and civil society, could consider developing and operationalizing a framework to prevent and address harassment, intimidation, and abuse targeting individuals engaged in political life. This could involve incident monitoring and reporting mechanisms, strengthened institutional co-ordination, and support measures to ensure

Ireland Page: 31 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report safe participation in public affairs – both offline and online – while providing adequate protections for free speech. 19. Authorities should strengthen the legislation on inciteful speech, including by expanding the list of protected characteristics to align with national equality laws and international standards. Institutional responsibilities for monitoring and enforcement, including during electoral periods, could be clarified and better co-ordinated. Campaign Finance 20. To ensure due accountability, clarity, and proper enforcement of expenditure limits, regulations governing pre-electoral campaign spending should be reviewed and clarified to cover all election- related expenses. 21. To enhance the comprehensiveness, comparability, and transparency of campaign finance reporting, consideration could be given to introducing online reporting. 22. To strengthen transparency and accountability, the legislation should require that third- party financing disclosures be made publicly available online in a timely and accessible manner. Media 23. To protect media plurality, legislators could consider introducing ceilings for media ownership or alternative safeguards against ownership concentration. 24. To strengthen accountability, the authorities could consider extending freedom of information legislation to cover all public bodies. 25. Consideration should be given to establishing proportionate caps on damages in defamation cases and introducing mechanisms to limit litigation costs, ensuring that compensation for reputational harm remains fair while preventing the financial burden of defamation proceedings from threatening media viability. 26. Consideration could be given to establishing a temporary fast-track mechanism during electoral periods to swiftly handle media complaints and ensure timely remedies. Election Dispute Resolution 27. In line with international standards and good electoral practice, consideration should be given to broadening the legal standing for lodging election petitions in courts. 28. Consideration could be given to revising the size of the monetary deposit for filing election petitions to ensure that legitimate rights could be defended in court while discouraging spurious appeals.

Ireland Page: 32 Presidential Election, 24 October 2025 ODIHR EAM Final Report ANNEX: FINAL ELECTION RESULTS 136 Candidates First Preference Votes Percentage 1 Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (Independent) 914,143 63.36 2 Jim Gavin (Fianna Fáil) 103,568 7.18 3 Heather Humphreys (Fine Gael) 424,987 29.46 Total 1,442.698 100.00 Total number of voters on voter lists 3,614,450 100.00 Number of voters who voted (turnout) 1,656,436 45.83 Number of valid cast votes 1,442,698 87.10 The electoral quota (50 percent of valid votes +1) 721,350 Number of invalid cast votes 213,738 12.90 136 https://www.presidentialelection.ie/. See the official gazette, Iris Oifigiul on October 28.

ABOUT ODIHR The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is OSCE’s principal institution to assist participating States “to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, to abide by the rule of law, to promote principles of democracy and (…) to build, strengthen and protect democratic institutions, as well as promote tolerance throughout society” (1992 Helsinki Summit Document). This is referred to as the OSCE human dimension. ODIHR, based in Warsaw (Poland) was created as the Office for Free Elections at the 1990 Paris Summit and began operating in May 1991. One year later, the name of the Office was changed to reflect an expanded mandate to include human rights and democratization. Today it employs over 150 staff. ODIHR is the lead agency in Europe in the field of election observation . Every year, it co- ordinates and organizes the deployment of thousands of observers to assess whether elections in the OSCE region are conducted in line with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections and with national legislation. Its unique methodology provides an in-depth insight into the electoral process in its entirety. Through assistance projects, ODIHR helps participating States to improve their electoral framework. The Office’s democratization activities include: rule of law, legislative support, democratic governance, migration and freedom of movement, and gender equality. ODIHR implements a number of targeted assistance programmes annually, seeking to develop democratic structures. ODIHR also assists participating States’ in fulfilling their obligations to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms consistent with OSCE human dimension commitments. This is achieved by working with a variety of partners to foster collaboration, build capacity and provide expertise in thematic areas, including human rights in the fight against terrorism, enhancing the human rights protection of trafficked people, human rights education and training, human rights monitoring and reporting, and women’s human rights and security. Within the field of tolerance and non- discrimination, ODIHR provides support to the participating States in strengthening their response to hate crimes and incidents of racism, xenophobia, anti- Semitism and other forms of intolerance. ODIHR 's activities related to tolerance and non- discrimination are focused on the following areas: legislation; law enforcement training; monitoring, reporting on, and following up on responses to hate-motivated crimes and incidents; as well as educational activities to promote tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding. ODIHR provides advice to participating States on their policies on Roma and Sinti . It promotes capacity-building and networking among Roma and Sinti communities, and encourages the participation of Roma and Sinti representatives in policy-making bodies. All ODIHR activities are carried out in close co-ordination and co- operation with OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and field operations, as well as with other international organizations. More information is available on the ODIHR website (www.osce.org/odihr ).

An Oifig um Institiúidí Daonlathacha agus Cearta Daonna ÉIRE TOGHCHÁN UACHTARÁNACHTA 24 DEIREADH FÓMHAIR 2025 Misean Measúnaithe Toghcháin OIDCD Tuarascáil Deiridh Vársá 27 Iúil 2026

CLÁR AN ÁBHAIR I. ACHOIMRE FEIDHMIÚCHÁIN ................................................................................................. 1 II. RÉAMHRÁ AGUS ADMHÁLACHA ........................................................................................... 3 III. CÚLRA AGUS COMHTHÉACS POLAITIÚIL .......................................................................... 4 IV. CREAT DLÍTHIÚIL AGUS CÓRAS TOGHCHÁIN .................................................................. 5 V. RIARACHÁN TOGHCHÁIN ........................................................................................................ 6 VI. CLÁRÚ VÓTÁLAITHE ............................................................................................................... 10 VII. CLÁRÚ IARRTHÓRA ................................................................................................................. 12 VIII. FEACHTAS TOGHCHÁIN ......................................................................................................... 13 A. C REAT DLÍTHIÚIL AGUS RIALACHÁIN .......................................................................................... 13 B. T IMPEALLACHT FEACHTAIS .......................................................................................................... 14 C. T IMPEALLACHT FEACHTAIS AR LÍNE .......................................................................................... 16 IX. MAOINIÚ FEACHTAIS .............................................................................................................. 18 A. I ONCAM AGUS CAITEACHAS .......................................................................................................... 18 B. N OCHTADH AGUS MAOIRSEACHT ................................................................................................. 21 X. NA MEÁIN ..................................................................................................................................... 23 A. T IMPEALLACHT NA MEÁN ............................................................................................................. 23 B. A N CREAT DLÍTHIÚIL .................................................................................................................... 24 C. C LÚDACH NA MEÁN AR AN BHFEACHTAS .................................................................................... 25 XI. RÉITEACH DÍOSPÓIDE TOGHCHÁIN .................................................................................. 26 XII. BREATHNÓIREACHT TOGHCHÁIN ...................................................................................... 28 XIII. LÁ AN TOGHCHÁIN AGUS COMHAIREAMH ..................................................................... 28 A. O SCAILT, VÓTÁIL, AGUS DÚNADH ................................................................................................ 28 B. C OMHAIREAMH .............................................................................................................................. 29 C. T ÁBLÚ AGUS FÓGAIRT TORTHAÍ .................................................................................................. 29 XIV. MOLTAÍ ......................................................................................................................................... 30 A. M OLTAÍ TOSAÍOCHTA .................................................................................................................... 30 B. M OLTAÍ EILE .................................................................................................................................. 31 AGUISÍN: TORTHAÍ DEIRIDH AN TOGHCHÁIN ............................................................................ 33 MAIDIR LE ODIHR .................................................................................................................................. 34

ÉIRE TOGHCHÁN UACHTARÁNACHTA 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh Misean Measúnaithe Toghcháin OIDCD 1 I. ACHOIMRE FEIDHMIÚCHÁIN Tar éis cuireadh a fháil ó údaráis na hÉireann, d’úsáid Oifig an ESCE um Institiúidí Daonlathacha agus Cearta Daonna (OIDCD) Misean Measúnaithe Toghcháin (MMT) do thoghchán uachtaránachta an 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025. Rinne OIDCD MMT measúnú ar chomhlíonadh an phróisis toghcháin maidir le gealltanais ESCE agus oibleagáidí agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta eile do thoghcháin dhaonlathacha chomh maith le reachtaíocht náisiúnta. I gcomhréir le modheolaíocht OIDCD, níor bhreathnaigh an OIDCD MMT ar imeachtaí lá toghcháin ar bhealach córasach nó cuimsitheach agus thug sé cuairt ar líon teoranta stáisiún vótaíochta. Fógraíodh an toghchán uachtaránachta don 24 Deireadh Fómhair ar an 3 Meán Fómhair, sular críochnaíodh an tUachtarán Micheál D. Higgins an dara téarma agus an téarma deiridh de sheacht mbliana. Reáchtáladh an toghchán i dtimpeallacht iomaíoch agus chuimsitheach, agus rinne na húdaráis toghcháin é a riar ar bhealach ordúil agus gairmiúil agus ardleibhéal muiníne ann i measc na bpáirtithe leasmhara. Múnlaíodh comhthéacs an réamhthoghcháin ag ionchais an phobail go dtabharfadh an rialtas aghaidh ar dhúshláin shocheacnamaíocha leanúnacha, lena n -áirítear an ghéarchéim tithíochta, costais mhaireachtála atá ag ardú, agus an imirce. Bhí an feachtas dírithe ar phearsantacht, agus bhí ról suntasach ag rannpháirtíocht ar líne. Toghadh Catherine Connolly faoin gcóras aonvóta inaistrithe, agus bhuaigh sí go cinntitheach le tromlach na vótaí céad rogha. Tugann an creat dlíthiúil toghcháin, cé go bhfuil sé ilroinnte thar roinnt gníomhartha dlí, bonn láidir chun an toghchán uachtaránachta a reáchtáil. Thug an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 leasuithe suntasacha isteach, lena n-áirítear Coimisiún Toghcháin neamhspleách a bhunú agus clárú vótálaithe a nuachóiriú. Níor cuireadh tús fós, áfach, le forálacha a bhaineann le maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar fhógraíocht pholaitiúil ar líne agus cur i gcoinne na bréagaisnéise. Cé gur thug an tAcht aghaidh ar roinnt moltaí OIDCD roimhe seo, tá moltaí eile ann nár tugadh aghaidh orthu go fóill, go háirithe comhdhlúthú na reachtaíochta toghcháin agus stádas agus ról na mbreathnóirí saoránach agus idirnáisiúnta. Toghtar an t-Uachtarán “trí mheán an aonavóta inaistrithe” i dtoghchán díreach. Le bheith tofa, ní mór don iarrthóir 50 faoin gcéad de na vótaí bailí móide vóta bailí amháin nó níos mó a fháil ná gach iarrthóir eile le chéile. Tá riarachán an toghcháin díláraithe, agus déanann an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta maoirseacht agus comhordú ar gach oibríocht toghcháin agus eisíonn sí rialacháin agus treoirlínte beartais. Tá príomhfhreagracht ar chinn chomhairimh ar fud na tíre as ullmhúcháin agus stiúradh toghchán ina gceantair faoi seach. Déantar comhaireamh na vótaí go lárnach do gach ceann de na 43 toghcheantar. Bhí lánmhuinín ag lucht riaracháin an toghcháin as a chumas an próiseas a bhainistiú ar bhealach gairmiúil neamhchlaonta. Is é seo an chéad toghchán uachtaránachta ó bunaíodh an Coimisiún Toghcháin in 2023 mar chomhlacht neamhspleách. Ghlac sé feidhmeanna toghcháin éagsúla ó chomhlachtaí eile, lena n-áirítear toghcheantair a athbhreithniú, reifrinn a mhaoirsiú, agus clár na bpáirtithe polaitíochta a choinneáil. Chuir idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT fáilte roimh a bhunú agus léirigh siad buíochas as a rannpháirtíocht, lena n-áirítear i ngníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana agus taighde agus i dtáirgeadh athbhreithnithe iarthoghcháin le moltaí chun an próiseas toghcháin a fheabhsú. Tá saoránaigh Éireannacha 18 mbliana d’aois agus níos sine atá san áireamh i gclár na vótálaithe incháilithe chun vótáil, gan aon teorainneacha bunaithe ar mhíchumas agus cearta vótála a leathnú chuig gach príosúnach. Déantar clárú vótálaithe a dhílárú ar fud na n- údarás áitiúil, agus tá 3.6 milliún vótálaí cláraithe don toghchán seo. Reáchtáil an Coimisiún Toghcháin feachtas cuimsitheach feasachta maidir le clárú 1 Is é an leagan Béarla den tuarascáil seo an t-aon doiciméad oifigiúil. Tá aistriúchán neamhoifigiúil ar fáil i nGaeilge.

Éire Leathanach: 2 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT vótálaithe trí úsáid a bhaint as raon cur chuige nuálach sna meáin thraidisiúnta agus ar ardáin ar líne araon. Cé nach raibh aon mheicníocht chuimsitheach ann chun cruinneas an chláir a sheiceáil, meastar go ndéanfar aghaidh air seo trí na cláir áitiúla a chumasc i mbunachar sonraí náisiúnta aonair in 2026. Tá saoránaigh atá 35 bliana d’aois nó níos sine incháilithe chun seasamh don oifig má ainmníonn fiche feisire parlaiminte ar a laghad nó ceithre chomhairle áitiúla ar a laghad iad. Cháin roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT an chaoi ar chuir príomhpháirtithe polaitíochta smacht páirtí i bhfeidhm ar chomhairleoirí agus ar fheisirí parlaiminte, ag áitiú go raibh na hiarrthóirí neamhspleácha seo faoi mhíbhuntáiste trí theorainn a chur lena gcumas ainmniúcháin a fháil. Cláraíodh triúr iarrthóirí; ar an 5 Deireadh Fómhair, áfach, tharraing iarrthóir amháin siar ón bhfeachtas. Bhí an feachtas an-dírithe ar phearsantacht, le hiarrthóirí ag díriú ar cháilíochtaí pearsanta, ionracas, agus oiriúnacht don oifig, in éineacht le fís den uachtaránacht mar ról aontaithe ina gcuimsítear luachanna comhroinnte, ceannaireacht mhorálta, agus ionadaíocht do gach saoránach. Nuair a tharraing Jim Gavin siar ón rás, rinneadh dinimic an fheachtais a athmhúnlú ina chomórtas dhá iarrthóir, ag athcheangal imní an phobail faoi rogha theoranta, agus ag spreagadh glaonna méadaithe ar vótálaithe a gcuid ballóidí a mhilleadh. Chuir roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT imní in iúl faoi leitheadúlacht mhéadaitheach de dhioscúrsa tocsaineach, ionsaitheach agus imeaglaithe a dhírigh ar iarrthóirí agus ar dhaoine poiblí, lena n- áirítear reitric le gnéithe de ghríosú chun foréigin agus fuatha, agus gnéithe ciníochais, frithbhanda agus éadulangach eile. Bhí ról mór ag an bhfearann ar líne san fheachtas, agus iarrthóirí, páirtithe, agus lucht tacaíochta ag baint úsáide as na meáin shóisialta go gníomhach chun teacht ar vótálaithe. Sháraigh lucht leanúna agus rannpháirtíocht ar líne Connolly Uas go mór le rannpháirtíocht Humphreys Uas, agus bhain an chéad duine úsáid fhorleathan as podchraoltaí freisin. Bhí poist na n- iarrthóirí níos dearfaí go córasach agus ní raibh siad chomh sáraíochta céanna le poist na bpáirtithe, na bpolaiteoirí agus na ngníomhaithe eile ar líne. Bhí feachtais fógraíochta íoctha Connolly Uas níos spriocdhírithe agus níos éagsúla, le caiteachas níos lú in aghaidh an fhógra agus líon níos airde ar an iomlán, agus bhí Humphreys Uas ag brath ar níos lú fógraí uathúla agus níos lú spriocdhírithe. Tháinig buaic imní faoi mhífhaisnéis go gairid roimh lá an toghcháin nuair a scaipeadh domhainbhrionnuithe a ghintear ag IS, a chuir an Coimisiún Toghcháin agus daoine eile in iúl agus a baineadh ina dhiaidh sin (le Meta agus Aibítir) nó a lipéadaíodh mar ionramháilte (le X). Féadfar feachtais toghcháin a mhaoiniú ó chistí poiblí agus príobháideacha agus ó thabhartais chomhchineáil. Forálann an dlí d’uasteorainneacha caiteachais feachtais, ceanglais nochta agus tuairiscithe, agus raon smachtbhannaí céimnithe i leith sáruithe airgeadais féideartha. Cé go bhfuil meicníochtaí iarthoghcháin um nochtadh airgeadais i bhfeidhm, níl aon cheanglas ann maidir le tuairisciú eatramhach roimh lá an toghcháin, rud a chuireann srian le rochtain vótálaithe ar fhaisnéis oifigiúil i ndáil le hioncam agus caiteachas feachtais. Déanann an Coimisiún um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí maoirsiú ar airgeadas feachtais agus tá cumhachtaí fairsinge imscrúdaithe aige. Tríd is tríd, soláthraíonn an reachtaíocht creat leordhóthanach chun maoiniú feachtais a rialáil agus a mhaoirsiú. Tá tírdhreach meán na hÉireann éagsúil, ach tá dúshláin mhéadaitheacha roimh iolrachas na meán mar gheall ar an méadú atá ag teacht ar úinéireacht na meán, rud a théann i bhfeidhm go háirithe ar earnálacha an raidió agus na meán réigiúnach. Le linn an fheachtais, bhí neart deiseanna ag iarrthóirí uachtaránachta a n-ardáin a chur i láthair i roinnt díospóireachtaí teilifíse agus agallaimh duine le duine, agus iriseoirí ag ceistiú na n-iarrthóirí go bríomhar. Roghnaigh an craoltóir poiblí Gaeilge TG4 gan díospóireachtaí a óstáil, toisc nach raibh ach duine amháin de na hiarrthóirí ina chainteoir líofa Gaeilge, agus bheadh díospóireacht i nGaeilge faoi mhíbhuntáiste ag an duine eile. Tá constaicí suntasacha fós le sárú ag rannpháirtíocht agus ionadaíocht na mban sa saol poiblí agus polaitiúil. In ainneoin cuóta liosta 40 faoin gcéad de na páirtithe a raibh an líon is mó iarrthóirí mná mar thoradh air san olltoghchán deireanach, ní hionann mná agus ach 25 faoin gcéad de na comhaltaí tofa i dTeach Íochtarach na Parlaiminte – i measc na leibhéal is ísle san Aontas Eorpach. Tá níos lú ná an ceathrú cuid de phoist aireachta agus seanadóra ag mná agus cuimsíonn siad 26 faoin gcéad de chomhairleoirí áitiúla. Leanann bacainní struchtúracha, lena n-áirítear rochtain theoranta ar acmhainní,

Éire Leathanach: 3 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT tacaíocht neamhleor ó pháirtithe, agus nochtadh méadaithe do mhí-úsáid ar líne agus bagairtí inscnebhunaithe, ag cur srian ar rannpháirtíocht, agus tá constaicí breise roimh mhná ó chúlraí trasnacha agus éagsúla. Is trí na cúirteanna amháin a riartar réiteach díospóidí toghcháin, agus tá dlínse ag an Ard-Chúirt ar achainíocha toghcháin uachtaránachta agus feidhmíonn an Chúirt Uachtarach mar an cás achomhairc deiridh. Glactar go forleathan leis an gcóras réitithe díospóidí agus measann páirtithe leasmhara go ginearálta go bhfuil sé feidhmiúil. Ní mór achainíocha a chomhdú laistigh de sheacht lá ó dhearbhú na dtorthaí; áfach, ní fhéadfaidh easpa spriocdhátaí breithnithe sásamh pras a ráthú. Tá seasamh dlíthiúil chun achainí a chomhdú teoranta don Stiúrthóir Ionchúiseamh Poiblí, d’iarrthóirí, agus dá ngníomhairí, nach bhfuil ag teacht le dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. D’fhéadfadh an éarlais shuntasach airgeadais a theastaíonn chun achainí a chomhdú dúshláin dhlisteanacha a dhíspreagadh freisin. Roimh lá an toghcháin, d’éist agus dhiúltaigh an Ard-Chúirt dhá chás a bhain leis an bpróiseas ainmniúcháin iarrthóirí. I gcomhréir le modheolaíocht OIDCD, ní dhearna OIDCD MMT breathnóireacht chuimsitheach agus chórasach ar imeachtaí lá an toghcháin ach thug sé cuairt ar líon teoranta stáisiún vótaíochta agus ionad comhairimh i mBaile Átha Cliath agus timpeall air. Go ginearálta, leanadh nósanna imeachta OIDCD MMT sna stáisiúin vótaíochta ar thug nósanna imeachta OIDCD cuairt orthu. Eisíodh torthaí réamhthoghcháin agus torthaí deiridh go pras; áfach, níor foilsíodh aon torthaí vótála dí-chomhbhailithe in aghaidh an stáisiúin vótaíochta, rud a bhain le trédhearcacht. Ní dhéanann an dlí foráil do bhreathnóireacht toghcháin saoránach agus idirnáisiúnta, contrártha le gealltanais ESCE agus moltaí OIDCD roimhe seo. Mar sin féin, chuir na húdaráis rochtain gan bhac ar fáil don mhisean ar gach céim den phróiseas toghcháin, lena n-áirítear lá an toghcháin. Cuireann an tuarascáil seo moltaí ar fáil d’fhonn tacú le hiarrachtaí chun toghcháin in Éirinn a thabhairt i gcomhréir le gealltanais ESCE agus le hoibleagáidí agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta eile maidir le toghcháin dhaonlathacha. Baineann moltaí tosaíochta le bearta speisialta sealadacha éifeachtacha do mhná a thabhairt isteach, an creat dlíthiúil toghcháin a chomhdhlúthú, tacú le hiarrachtaí clárúcháin vótálaithe áitiúla, creat rialála agus institiúideach a bhunú a rialaíonn an fearann digiteach, trédhearcacht airgeadas feachtais a mhéadú agus freagracht institiúideach as a mhaoirseacht a shoiléiriú, maoiniú ilbhliantúil leordhóthanach a sholáthar do mheáin na seirbhíse poiblí agus rochtain breathnóirí ar gach céim den phróiseas toghcháin a ráthú. Tá OIDCD réidh chun cabhrú leis na húdaráis aghaidh a thabhairt ar na moltaí atá sa tuarascáil seo agus sna tuarascálacha roimhe seo. II. RÉAMHRÁ AGUS ADMHÁLACHA Tar éis cuireadh oifigiúil ó údaráis na hÉireann chun breathnú ar thoghchán d’Uachtarán na hÉireann an 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025, agus de réir a shainordaithe, d’úsáid Oifig an ESCE um Institiúidí Daonlathacha agus Cearta Daonna (OIDCD) Misean Measúnaithe Toghcháin (MMT) ón 2 go dtí an 30 Deireadh Fómhair. 2 Bhí an misean, faoi cheannas J. Ray Kennedy, comhdhéanta de sheisear saineolaithe ó shé Stát rannpháirteacha de chuid an ESCE, ina raibh triúr ban agus triúr fear. Bhí an OIDCD MMT lonnaithe i gcathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus thug sé cuairt ar Ghaillimh agus ar cheantair timpeall na príomhchathrach. Rinne OIDCD MMT measúnú ar chomhlíonadh an phróisis toghcháin maidir le gealltanais ESCE agus oibleagáidí agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta eile do thoghcháin dhaonlathacha chomh maith le reachtaíocht náisiúnta. I gcomhréir le modheolaíocht OIDCD, níor bhreathnaigh an MMT ar lá an toghcháin agus ar imeachtaí comhairimh ar bhealach córasach nó cuimsitheach ach thug sé cuairt ar líon teoranta stáisiún vótaíochta agus ionad comhairimh. Is mian leis an OIDCD MMT buíochas a ghabháil leis an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála, an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, agus leis an gCoimisiún Toghcháin as 2 Féach tuarascálacha OIDCD roimhe seo a bhaineann le toghcháin in Éirinn .

Éire Leathanach: 4 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT a gcomhoibriú agus a gcúnamh. Cuireann an OIDCD MMT a bhuíochas in iúl freisin d’institiúidí stáit eile, chomh maith leis na hiarrthóirí uachtaránachta, a ngníomhairí, páirtithe polaitíochta, na meáin, an tsochaí shibhialta, agus idirghabhálaithe eile as a dtuairimí a roinnt. III. CÚLRA AGUS COMHTHÉACS POLAITIÚIL Is poblacht pharlaiminteach í Éire a bhfuil cumhachtaí reachtacha aici atá dílsithe do pharlaimint an dá sheomra (Oireachtas), atá comhdhéanta de Sheanad (Seanad Éireann) a thoghtar go hindíreach agus Teach Ionadaithe a thoghtar go díreach (Dáil Éireann). Luíonn an chumhacht feidhmiúcháin leis an rialtas atá faoi cheannas an Phríomh-Aire (Taoiseach), atá ainmnithe ag Teach na nIonadaithe agus ceaptha ag an Uachtarán (Uachtarán na hÉireann). Feidhmíonn an tUachtarán mar cheann stáit le cumhachtaí teoranta, sainithe go bunreachtúil, lena n- áirítear ionadaíocht a dhéanamh thar ceann an phobail agus an stáit, comhaltaí den rialtas agus na breithiúna a cheapadh, an pharlaimint a thionól nó a dhíscaoileadh, dlíthe a shíniú, agus gníomhú mar Ardcheannasaí d’Óglaigh na hÉireann. Feidhmítear go leor de na cumhachtaí sin ar chomhairle an rialtais. Ag teacht leis na ceanglais bhunreachtúla, fógraíodh an toghchán le hOrdú Toghcháin Uachtaránachta an 3 Meán Fómhair. 3 D’éirigh an tUachtarán a bhí ag dul as oifig Michael D. Higgins, a chuaigh i mbun oifige an 11 Samhain 2011, as a phost tar éis dó an dá théarma seacht mbliana a cheadaítear leis an mBunreacht a chríochnú. Tá meas forleathan agus tóir air, agus thar na blianta, chuir an tUachtarán Higgins le hionchais an phobail i leith na huachtaránachta a mhúnlú, lena n- áirítear trína rannpháirtíocht ghutha ar ábhair a bhfuil tábhacht phoiblí ag baint leo ó thaobh cúrsaí sóisialta agus beartais de. Tá ardleibhéal cobhsaíochta polaitiúla bainte amach ag Éirinn, agus tá an tírdhreach faoi cheannas an dá páirtí atá ar dheis ón lár, Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael, a mhalartaigh cumhacht eatarthu ar feadh na mblianta fada agus atá i mbun rialtais le chéile ó 2020 i leith. Bhí timthriall toghcháin gnóthach ag an tír le déanaí in 2024, lena n- áirítear toghcháin iolracha agus dhá reifreann ar shaincheisteanna comhionannais teaghlaigh agus inscne, an dá cheann ar dhiúltaigh na vótálaithe dóibh. 4 Tar éis olltoghchán 2024, fuair aon pháirtí déag ionadaíocht i dTeach na nIonadaithe. 5 Bhunaigh Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael comhrialtas in éineacht le reachtóirí neamhspleácha. Múnlaíodh an timpeallacht réamhthoghcháin ag ionchais an phobail go dtabharfadh an rialtas aghaidh ar dhúshláin shocheacnamaíocha leanúnacha, go háirithe an ghéarchéim tithíochta atá ag dul i méid, an costas maireachtála atá ag ardú, agus an imirce, a bhí ina ábhar níos suntasaí sa díospóireacht pholaitiúil agus phoiblí. Tá rannpháirtíocht agus ionadaíocht na mban sa saol poiblí agus polaitiúil teoranta i gcónaí. In ainneoin cuóta liosta 40 faoin gcéad de na páirtithe a d’fhág go raibh an líon is airde d’iarrthóirí ban san olltoghchán deireanach, níl ach 25 faoin gcéad den 174 feisire parlaiminte tofa (Teachtaí Dála - TDanna) ina mná – i measc na leibhéal is ísle san Aontas Eorpach (AE) agus 95 ú ar fud an domhain. 6 Tá níos lú ná an ceathrú cuid de phoist aireachta agus seanadóra ag mná agus is ionann iad agus 26 faoin gcéad de chomhairleoirí áitiúla. 7 Leanann bacainní struchtúracha leanúnacha, amhail rochtain theoranta ar acmhainní, tacaíocht neamhleor páirtí, agus méadú ar nochtadh do mhí-úsáid ar líne agus do bhagairtí inscnebhunaithe, ag cur srian le rannpháirtíocht na mban i gcónaí. Tá constaicí níos mó fós 3 Féach Ordú Toghcháin an Uachtaráin ón Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. I gcomhréir leis an mBunreacht, ní mór toghchán uachtaránachta a reáchtáil laistigh de 60 lá ó dhul in éag shainordú an Uachtaráin reatha. Bhí téarma oifige an Uachtaráin Higgins le dul in éag an 10 Samhain 2025. 4 D’iarr eagraíochtaí na mban agus eagraíochtaí um chearta an duine go leasófaí Airteagal 41.2 den Bhunreacht maidir le “ról na mban sa bhaile” mar go mbaineann sé ón gcomhionannas inscne atá ag dréim leis agus go mbuanaíonn sé steiréitíopaí inscne. Féach Barúlacha Deiridh an Choiste CEDAW 2025, ailt 11 agus 12; tuarascáil mhalartach 2025 Chomhairle na hÉireann um Shaoirsí Sibhialta (ICCL) chuig Coiste CEDAW 2025, ailt 21- 26, agus tuarascáil ó Choimisiún na hÉireann um Chearta an Duine agus Comhionannas (IHREC), lch. 56. 5 Bhuaigh (48) Fianna Fáil an líon is mó suíochán, ina dhiaidh sin bhí Sinn Féin (39), Fine Gael (38), Páirtí an Lucht Oibre agus Daonlathaithe Sóisialta (11 suíochán an ceann), Éire Neamhspleách (4), Pobal Seachas Brabús - Dlúthpháirtíocht (3), Aontú (2), 100 % Sásamh agus an Comhaontas Glas (1 suíochán an ceann). Bhuaigh iarrthóirí neamhspleácha na suíocháin a bhí fágtha. 6 Parline an Aontais Idirpharlaiminteach, Rangú míosúil na mban i bparlaimintí náisiúnta . 7 Is mná iad triúr de na 15 Aire Comh- Aireachta, 6 cinn de na 23 Aire Stáit, agus 27 as 60 seanadóir.

Éire Leathanach: 5 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT roimh mhná a bhfuil cúlraí trasnacha agus éagsúla acu. D’fhonn aghaidh a thabhairt ar na bearnaí sin, d’iarr gníomhaithe náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta, i measc beart eile, go neartófaí cur chun feidhme na gcuótaí, go leathnófaí iad chuig poist thofa agus cheaptha eile, agus go dtabharfaí isteach cuótaí ‘neadaithe’ chun ionadaíocht thrasnach a fheabhsú, lena n-áirítear mná den Lucht Siúil. 8 Ba cheart do pháirtithe polaitíochta bacainní ar rannpháirtíocht na mban a shainaithint trí iniúchtaí inscne, athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar chleachtais inmheánacha agus bearta a chur chun feidhme chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar bhearnaí. IV. CREAT DLÍTHIÚIL AGUS CÓRAS TOGHCHÁIN Cuimsíonn an creat dlíthiúil toghcháin Bunreacht 1937 (arna leasú go deireanach in 2019), a shainíonn sainordú an uachtaráin agus an córas toghcháin; an tAcht Toghcháin an Uachtaráin, 1993, ina leagtar amach na nósanna imeachta maidir le toghadh an Uachtaráin; an tAcht Toghcháin, 1992 (arna leasú go deireanach in 2024), a chlúdaíonn clárú vótálaithe agus nósanna imeachta maidir le toghchán na huachtaránachta a stiúradh; agus an tAcht Toghcháin, 1997 (arna leasú go deireanach in 2024), a rialaíonn airgeadas feachtais go príomha. Rinneadh athruithe móra ar an gcreat dlíthiúil nuair a glacadh an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 (arna leasú go deireanach in 2024), a leasaigh Achtanna Toghcháin 1992 agus 1997 agus Acht Toghcháin an Uachtaráin, 1993. Tá an tAcht Toghcháin, 1997 á athbhreithniú faoi láthair ag Aonad Saincheadúnais na Roinne Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta (an Roinn Tithíochta ina dhiaidh seo). Tá Éire ina páirtí i mórionstraimí dlí idirnáisiúnta a bhaineann le toghcháin dhaonlathacha. 9 In ainneoin go bhfuil sé ilroinnte thar roinnt gníomhartha dlí, cuireann an creat dlíthiúil toghcháin bonn láidir ar fáil chun toghcháin uachtaránachta a stiúradh agus tá muinín páirtithe leasmhara as. Comhlánaítear an creat le rialacháin lena gcuirtear i bhfeidhm na hachtanna toghcháin arna n-eisiúint ag an Roinn Tithíochta agus ar a dtugtar Ionstraimí Reachtúla (I.R.). 10 Cé go bhfuil na hionstraimí reachtúla ar fáil ina n-aonar ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne, ní dhéantar iad a chomhdhlúthú in aon doiciméad amháin chun na cinn a eisíodh nó a leasaíodh níos déanaí a áireamh. 11 Níl an cur chuige seo praiticiúil do na páirtithe leasmhara toghcháin agus d’fhéadfadh éiginnteacht a bheith mar thoradh air faoi cad is creat rialála infheidhme i dtoghchán ann. 12 8 Féach Barúlacha Deiridh, an Choiste CEDAW 2025, ailt. 23- 24, achomhairc ón gComhghuaillíocht um Chuótaí Inscne (Páipéar Seasaimh Mheán Fómhair 2024, lch. 20) agus tuarascáil IHREC Bealtaine 2025, lch. 19, moltaí macalla ón gComhchoiste um Chomhionannas Inscne (Daonlathas Neamhchríochnaithe: Comhionannas Inscne a Bhaint Amach, 2022) agus an Tionól Saoránach um Chomhionannas Inscne (Moltaí 2021). 9 Lena n-áirítear Coinbhinsiún Eorpach chun Cearta an Duine agus Saoirsí Bunúsacha (CDSB) a Chosaint, 1950, Coinbhinsiún Idirnáisiúnta na Náisiún Aontaithe maidir le Gach Cineál Idirdhealaithe Chiníoch a Dhíothú (ICRD), 1965, Cúnant Idirnáisiúnta ar Chearta Sibhialta agus Polaitiúla (ICCPR), 1966, Coinbhinsiún Idirnáisiúnta na Náisiún Aontaithe maidir le Gach Cineál Idirdhealaithe a Dhíothú in aghaidh na mBan, 1979, Creat-Choinbhinsiún Chomhairle na hEorpa chun Mionlaigh Náisiúnta a Chosaint, 1995, Coinbhinsiún na NA i gcoinne na hÉillithe, 2003, Coinbhinsiún na Náisiún Aontaithe ar Chearta Daoine faoi Mhíchumas (CRPD), 2006, Coinbhinsiún Chomhairle na hEorpa ar Fhoréigean in aghaidh na mBan agus ar Fhoréigean Baile a Chosc agus a Chomhrac (Coinbhinsiún Iostanbúl), 2011. Tá Éire ina ball den Choimisiún Eorpach um Dhaonlathas trí Dhlí de chuid Chomhairle na hEorpa (Coimisiún na Veinéise) agus den Ghrúpa Stát in aghaidh na hÉillithe (GRECO). 10 De réir Alt 3 d’Acht Toghcháin, 1992, féadfaidh dhá Theach na Parlaiminte, i gcás easaontais, na rialacháin sin a neamhniú laistigh de 21 lá óna n- eisiúint. 11 Baineann na rialacháin seo a leanas le toghchán uachtaránachta: I.R. Uimh. 156 de 2007 Rialacháin Toghcháin, ina dtugtar breac-chuntas ar na ceanglais maidir le páipéir ainmniúcháin, páipéar ballóide agus ina liostaítear cad is aitheantas vótálaí bailí ann. I.R. Uimh. 383 de 2025 An tOrdú um an Acht Toghcháin, 1997 (Athrú ar Mhéid Airgeadaíochta) ina leagtar síos na critéir chun caiteachais iarrthóirí a aisíoc. I.R. Uimh. 361 de 2025 Rialacháin Toghcháin (Leasú) maidir le haitheantas vótálaí bailí; I.R. Uimh. 329 de 2018 ar an bhfoirm ainmniúcháin iarrthóra; I.R. Uimh. 395 de 2018 Rialacháin um Thoghcháin Uachtaráin (Teimpléad Páipéar Ballóide), ina ndéantar foráil do shocruithe chun vótáil neamhspleách ag vótálaithe lagamhairc a éascú. 12 Foráiltear in alt 19 de Thrácht Ghinearálta, 34 (2011) a ghabhann le hAirteagal 19 de ICCPR, 1996 go ndéanfadh “stáit gach iarracht a dhéanamh rochtain éasca, phras, éifeachtach agus phraiticiúil ar fhaisnéis phoiblí a chinntiú”.

Éire Leathanach: 6 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT D’fhéadfadh an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, i gcás gach toghcháin, na hionstraimí reachtúla ábhartha a chomhdhlúthú in aon doiciméad amháin agus iad a fhoilsiú ar a láithreán gréasáin chun éiginnteacht faoin gcreat rialála is infheidhme a sheachaint. Thug an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 athchóirithe suntasacha isteach, lena n- áirítear Coimisiún Toghcháin neamhspleách a bhunú chun maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar thoghcháin agus reifrinn, rialacha maidir le fógraíocht pholaitiúil ar líne, bearta chun cur i gcoinne bréagaisnéise, agus forálacha nua maidir le tiomsú airgid, tuairisciú airgeadais, agus nochtadh. Rinne an tAcht clárú vótálaithe a nuachóiriú trí chlárú leanúnach a thabhairt isteach, réamhchlárú a cheadú dóibh siúd idir 16- 17 mbliana d’aois, agus deireadh a chur leis an idirdhealú idir sláinte fhisiciúil agus mheabhrach do vótálaithe atá incháilithe chun iarratas a dhéanamh ar vótáil phoist agus vótáil speisialta. Glacfaidh an Coimisiún Toghcháin feidhmeanna maoirseachta faoi Chodanna 4 agus 5 den Acht sa deireadh, a bhaineann le fógraíocht pholaitiúil íoctha ar líne le linn feachtais toghcháin agus reifrinn agus le bréagaisnéis, mífhaisnéis, agus iompraíocht ionramhála nó bhréagach ar líne a imscrúdú agus a chomhrac. Níor cuireadh tús leis na Codanna seo don toghchán seo, áfach. Cé gur thug an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 aghaidh ar roinnt moltaí OIDCD roimhe seo, amhail bunú an Choimisiúin Toghcháin agus feabhsuithe ar an bpróiseas clárúcháin vótálaithe, tá cinn eile fós gan aghaidh a thabhairt orthu, go háirithe iad siúd a bhaineann le comhdhlúthú na reachtaíochta toghcháin agus stádas agus ról breathnóirí saoránach agus idirnáisiúnta i dtoghcháin. Uaireanta úsáideann na hionstraimí dlí éagsúla téarmaíocht neamhsheasmhach agus coinníonn siad teanga atá as dáta. D’fhéadfadh sé seo deacrachtaí a chruthú d’úsáideoirí. Mar sin féin, leanann an pharlaimint de ghníomhartha leasaithe a rith seachas na gníomhartha atá ann cheana a chomhdhlúthú in aon doiciméad amháin. Chuir an Roinn Tithíochta agus an Coimisiún Toghcháin araon in iúl don OIDCD MMT go bhféadfaí cleachtadh den sórt sin a athmhachnamh tar éis an toghcháin seo agus roimh an gcéad timthriall toghcháin eile in 2029. D’fhonn inrochtaineacht a fheabhsú agus cur chun feidhme aonfhoirmeach an chreata dhlíthiúil toghcháin a éascú, ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar an reachtaíocht toghcháin reatha a chomhdhlúthú go foirmiúil. Sonraítear sa Bhunreacht go dtoghtar an t-uachtarán “trí mheán an aonavóta inaistrithe” i dtoghchán díreach. Ciallaíonn sé sin go dtoghtar an t-uachtarán le tromlach na vótaí bailí i dtoghchán aon bhabhta. Samhlaíonn an córas aonvóta inaistrithe go ndéanfaidh vótálaithe na hiarrthóirí uachtaránachta a rangú ar an mballóid in ord tosaíochta (1, 2, 3 etc.). Le bheith tofa, ní mór don iarrthóir buaiteach 50 faoin gcéad de na vótaí bailí móide vóta amháin (an cuóta toghcháin) nó níos bailí a fháil ná gach iarrthóir eile le chéile. Mura bhfaigheann aon iarrthóir dóthain vótaí céadrogha chun an cuóta a chomhlíonadh, cuirtear deireadh leis an iarrthóir/na hiarrthóirí leis na vótaí is ísle agus aistrítear a vótaí chuig na hiarrthóirí leanúnacha de réir na chéad rogha eile atá ar fáil. Leanann an próiseas sin ar aghaidh go dtí go mbeidh dóthain vótaí ag iarrthóir chun a dhearbhú go bhfuil sé tofa. Mura n- ainmnítear ach iarrthóir amháin, ní reáchtáiltear an toghchán agus dearbhaítear an t-iarrthóir sin mar uachtarán tofa. V. RIARACHÁN TOGHCHÁIN Tá riarachán an toghcháin díláraithe, agus déanann an Roinn Tithíochta maoirseacht agus comhordú ar gach oibríocht toghcháin, ag soláthar comhairle reachtaíochta, agus ag eisiúint rialachán agus treoirlínte beartais. Tá naonúr ball (cúigear fear agus ceathrar ban) in Aonad Saincheadúnais na Roinne Tithíochta. Déanann Ceann Comhairimh an Uachtaráin (CCU), arna cheapadh ag an Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, maoirseacht ar chlárú iarrthóirí agus déanann sé/sí torthaí deiridh an toghcháin a chomhaireamh agus a fhógairt.

Éire Leathanach: 7 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Bhí an toghchán uachtaránachta á riar go háitiúil ag Ceann Comhairimh (CCanna) laistigh de na 43 toghcheantar a úsáideadh le haghaidh toghcháin do theach íochtarach na parlaiminte. 13 Rinne 17 CCanna áitiúil (naonúr fear agus ochtar ban) maoirseacht ar na hullmhúcháin do vótaíocht agus comhaireamh vótaí ina gceantair faoi seach. 14 Tá lánrogha ag na ROanna, lena n- áirítear maoirseoirí, oifigigh ceannais, agus cléirigh vótaíochta a fhostú agus a oiliúint chuig stáisiúin vótaíochta foirne ar lá an toghcháin, chomh maith le foireann chomhairimh a fhostú agus a oiliúint. 15 Cé go bhféadfaidh CCanna feidhmeanna áirithe a tharmligean chuig CCanna leas agus cúnta, tá an CC fós freagrach as torthaí toghcháin a fhógairt don limistéar CC ar fad. D’eisigh an Roinn Tithíochta meabhrán cuimsitheach do CCanna ina leagtar síos an creat dlíthiúil agus rialála is infheidhme agus ina soláthraítear treoirlínte praiticiúla maidir le gach gné den phróiseas toghcháin. Ní ráthaíonn an dlí earcaíocht atá cothrom ó thaobh inscne de d’fhoireann riaracháin toghcháin, agus ní raibh na cinn chomhairimh áitiúla ag bailiú sonraí dí-chomhbhailithe inscne maidir le líon na bhfear agus na mban a bhí ag gabháil do sheoladh na vótála agus an chomhairimh. 16 Cé nach bhfuil siad faoi cheangal ag aon treoirlínte a eisíodh go lárnach maidir le comhionannas inscne, chuir na CCanna a bhuail leis an OIDCD MMT in iúl go raibh siad aireach faoin ábhar agus rinne siad a ndícheall fir agus mná a fhostú ar an líon céanna. Bíonn lánrogha ag Ceann Comhairimh maidir le baill foirne vótaíochta agus comhairimh a earcú agus a roghnú agus de ghnáth ní fhógraíonn siad na poist sin ach amháin nuair a thagann folúntais chun cinn. I roinnt toghcheantar, is ó oifigigh phoiblí amháin a tharraingítear an fhoireann vótaíochta agus comhairimh. Chun rannpháirtíocht na mban i riarachán toghcháin a chur chun cinn, ba cheart don cheann comhairimh uachtaránachta sonraí dí-chomhbhailithe a bhailiú agus a fhoilsiú maidir le hionadaíocht inscne na foirne vótaíochta agus comhairimh. Bhí muinín ag na páirtithe leasmhara as an riarachán toghcháin as a chumas an próiseas toghcháin a bhainistiú ar bhealach gairmiúil agus neamhchlaonta. Le roinnt eisceachtaí, ba chosúil go raibh taithí toghcháin roimh ré ag gach oifigeach ceannais ar bhuail an OIDCD MMT leo; agus dúirt beagnach gach ball foirne vótaíochta i mBaile Átha Cliath gur fhéach siad, mar ullmhúchán don toghchán seo, ar an bhfíseán oiliúna ar líne d’oifigigh ceannais agus go ndearna siad an tástáil tráth na gceist ar líne. Taispeánadh físeán oiriúnaithe den chineál céanna le linn an t-aon oiliúint phearsanta a bhí ag oifigigh ceannais ar cuireadh an OIDCD MMT ar an eolas faoi agus ar fhreastail sé air. 17 Bhí lámhleabhar ullmhaithe ag an Roinn Tithíochta le treoir phraiticiúil d’oifigigh ceannais. 18 D’fhéadfaí oiliúint a chur ar fáil d’fhoireann vótaíochta agus chomhairimh ar bhealach níos tarraingtí agus níos idirghníomhaí, agus ba cheart ábhair oiliúna a chur in oiriúint go sonrach don chineál toghcháin atá beartaithe dóibh a chlúdach. 13 I gcontae agus i gcontaebhuirgí Bhaile Átha Cliath agus Chorcaí, is é an CC áitiúil an sirriam áitiúil, agus i ngach contae agus contaebhuirg eile is é an CC áitiúil an cláraitheoir contae. I mBaile Átha Cliath, fuair an dá CC cúnamh ó bhainisteoirí toghcháin a rinne go leor de na hullmhúcháin toghcháin. Tá na CCanna mar an gcéanna do thoghcháin uachtaránachta agus olltoghcháin. 14 Má tá níos mó ná dáilcheantar amháin i limistéar an CC, ceapann an CC leas-CC do gach toghcheantar breise. Má tá cuid den cheantar i gcontae nó i gcontaebhuirg eile, ceapann an RO cúnta don cheantar sin. 15 Tá oifigeach ceannais agus cléireach toghcháin mar fhoireann i stáisiún vótaíochta (“tábla”). 16 Geallann Alt 40.13 de Dhoiciméad Moscó ESCE 1991 do na Stáit rannpháirteacha “a chinntiú go mbailítear agus go ndéantar anailís ar shonraí chun staid na mban a mheas go cuí, chun monatóireacht a dhéanamh uirthi agus chun í a fheabhsú”. 17 Reáchtáladh an oiliúint i stíl léachtaí do thart ar 50 oifigeach ceannais ó Chuan Bhaile Átha Cliath Theas ar an 19 Deireadh Fómhair i mBaile Átha Cliath. Bhí gné idirghníomhach amháin i gceist leis, cleachtadh ar conas an cuntas páipéir bhallóide a líonadh isteach, agus ní oiliúnóir oilte a reáchtáil é. 18 Ba chosúil go ginearálta gur uirlis phraiticiúil úsáideach a bhí sa lámhleabhar agus, i measc nithe eile, thairg sé comhairle maidir le conas cumarsáid a dhéanamh le vótálaithe a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu ar nós daoine faoi mhíchumas. Ba chosúil go raibh roinnt sleachta den lámhleabhar ag tagairt do chleachtais as dáta.

Éire Leathanach: 8 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Bunaíodh an Coimisiún Toghcháin in 2023 agus é mar chuspóir sonraithe aige stiúradh toghchán agus reifreann a nuachóiriú. Tá seachtar ball ann faoi láthair (ceathrar fear agus triúr ban) agus tá bean ina cathaoirleach air. Is é an tUachtarán a cheapann an Cathaoirleach, iar-Bhreitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach, ar ainmniúchán an Phríomh- Bhreitheamh. Freastalaíonn beirt chomhaltaí de bhrí oifige – an tOmbudsman agus Cléireach Theach na nIonadaithe. 19 Tagann an Coimisiún le chéile go pearsanta uair nó dhó sa mhí agus foilsítear a chláir oibre agus a mhiontuairiscí cruinnithe, cé go bhfuil moill áirithe orthu. Tá an obair ó lá go lá faoi stiúir Príomhoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin, atá mar chuid d’fhoireann bainistíochta de sheisear ball an Choimisiúin (triúr ban agus triúr fear). 20 Ghlac an Coimisiún Toghcháin freagrachtaí éagsúla ó chomhlachtaí eile lena n-áirítear athbhreithniú toghcheantair do thoghcháin pharlaiminteacha agus Pharlaimint na hEorpa, clárú páirtithe polaitíochta, agus faisnéis neodrach a sholáthar ar an gceist a moladh i reifrinn náisiúnta. Déanann an Coimisiún taighde toghcháin freisin agus déanann sé moltaí don Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, cuireann sé faisnéis ar fáil don phobal faoi thoghcháin agus reifrinn, agus spreagann sé rannpháirtíocht an phobail i dtoghcháin agus i bpróisis dhaonlathacha, chomh maith le maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar chlár na vótálaithe. Chuir páirtithe leasmhara uile OIDCD MMT fáilte roimh bhunú an Choimisiúin Toghcháin agus chuir siad in iúl go raibh siad buíoch as a rannpháirtíocht leathan agus thiomanta i ngníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana agus taighde agus i dtáirgeadh tuarascálacha ar imeachtaí iarthoghcháin le moltaí chun an próiseas toghcháin a fheabhsú. Roimh agus i rith thréimhse an toghcháin, thug an Coimisiún faoi raon leathan gníomhaíochtaí nithiúla oideachais agus rannpháirtíochta poiblí chun vótálaithe incháilithe a spreagadh chun clárú agus chun dul agus vótáil. 21 Dhírigh go leor tionscnamh go sonrach ar vótálaithe óga agus vótálaithe céaduaire (18-25 bliain) chomh maith le vótálaithe amach anseo (16- 17 mbliana). D’fhostaigh an Coimisiún tionchairí agus, den chéad uair, rinne sé feachtas for-rochtana vótálaithe cuimsitheach agus tarraingteach ar TikTok. De réir fhoireann an Choimisiúin, bhí breis agus 90,000 iarratas vótálaithe mar thoradh ar a fheachtas for-rochtana poiblí. 22 Chomhordaigh na cinn chomhairimh ábhar ballóide a choinneáil slán, lena n-áirítear le linn boscaí ballóide a aistriú chuig ionaid chomhairimh oíche an toghcháin, leis na póilíní náisiúnta. Tá an Roinn Tithíochta agus an Coimisiún Toghcháin araon mar chuid de Líonra Náisiúnta Comhoibrithe Toghcháin a chuimsíonn freisin comhlachtaí stáit atá speisialaithe i gcosaint sonraí, cibearshlándáil agus measúnú agus maolú riosca. Féadfaidh an Líonra foláirimh maidir le bagairtí inmheánacha a eisiúint má thagann dúshláin chun cinn. Níor cuireadh an OIDCD MMT ar an eolas faoi aon bhagairtí nó eachtraí slándála maidir leis an toghchán. Téann an Roinn Tithíochta agus an Coimisiún Toghcháin i gcomhairle go rialta le heagraíochtaí pobal faoi mhíchumas (DPOnna), Údarás Náisiúnta Míchumais (NDA), Coimisiún na hÉireann um Chearta an Duine agus Comhionannas (IHREC), agus le daoine eile chun próisis toghcháin a dhéanamh níos cuimsithí do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas. Thug roinnt idirghabhálaithe dá n- aire, áfach, go bhfuil baint dhíréireach ag soláthraithe seirbhíse – seachas DPOnna – le comhairle a chur ar údaráis stáit agus áitiúla maidir le socruithe riachtanacha agus uirlisí cúnta do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas a d’fhéadfadh tionchar diúltach a imirt ar a gceart chun rannpháirtíocht chomhionann sa phróiseas toghcháin. 23 Foráiltear sa reachtaíocht toghcháin do shocruithe réasúnta do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas, lena n-áirítear roghnú stáisiúin vótaíochta inrochtana, bothanna inrochtana do chathaoireacha rothaí, treoracha vótála 19 Tá seachtar gnáthbhall ag an gCoimisiún faoi láthair, ach tá glao déanta chun an dá shuíochán folamh eile a líonadh agus ballraíocht iomlán an Choimisiúin a thabhairt suas go dtí naonúr ball. Ceapann an tUachtarán gnáthbhall ar ainmniúchán ag an rialtas bunaithe ar mholtaí ón tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí. 20 Tá sé de chumhacht ag an bPríomhfheidhmeannach tograí a chur faoi bhráid an Choimisiúin maidir le hábhair a bhaineann lena fheidhmeanna agus féadfaidh sé dualgais bhreise a chomhlíonadh mar a údaraítear leis an Acht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin nó a cheanglaítear ar an gCoimisiún. 21 Féach ar Straitéis chuimsitheach an Choimisiúin um Oideachas agus Rannpháirtíocht Phoiblí. 22 Feach eisiúint na meán ón gCoimisiúin Toghcháin an 8 Deireadh Fómhair 2025. 23 Ceanglaítear le hAirteagal 4.3 de CRPD na NA ar pháirtithe Stáit dul i gcomhairle go dlúth le daoine faoi mhíchumas agus páirt ghníomhach a ghlacadh iontu, trína n- eagraíochtaí ionadaíocha i ngach próiseas reachtaíochta, beartais agus cinnteoireachta ábhartha.

Éire Leathanach: 9 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT mórchló, teimpléid ballóide Braille, agus treoir fuaime do vótálaithe lagamhairc. 24 I gcás nach bhfuil rochtain neamhspleách ar stáisiún vótaíochta, ní mór don CC fógra poiblí a thabhairt ocht lá ar a laghad roimh lá an toghcháin agus féadfaidh sé a údarú don vótálaí an bhallóid a chaitheamh i stáisiún vótaíochta eile sa dáilcheantar céanna, ar choinníoll go gcuireann an vótálaí iarratas isteach seacht lá ar a laghad roimh lá an toghcháin, gan ach lá a fhágáil chun iarratas a chur isteach. D’fhéadfadh an tréimhse ama chomhbhrúite seo ualach díréireach a chur ar vótálaithe faoi mhíchumas agus teorainn a chur le feidhmiú éifeachtach a gceart vótála, go háirithe nuair a bhíonn siad ag brath ar an bhfógra foirmiúil chun a bheith feasach ar bhacainní inrochtaineachta. D’fhonn feidhmiú éifeachtach an chirt vótála a chinntiú agus chun éifeachtacht an bhirt cóiríochta a neartú, ba cheart tréimhse réasúnta a sholáthar do vótálaithe chun socruithe vótála malartacha a iarraidh. Go háirithe, fuair gach stáisiún vótaíochta teimpléad páipéir ballóide amháin i Braille, atá inchoigeartaithe chun an páipéar ballóide a fheistiú mar aon le treoir fuaime – seirbhís saorghlao a sholáthraíonn leagan fuaime d’fhaisnéis iarrthóra – chun cur ar chumas vótálaithe lagamhairc a gcuid ballóidí a mharcáil go neamhspleách. 25 Thug IHREC faoi deara, áfach, go bhfuil bacainní fós ann ar rannpháirtíocht toghcháin do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas. 26 Féadfaidh daoine faoi mhíchumas úsáid a bhaint as nósanna imeachta vótála cuidithe agus nósanna imeachta vótála speisialta. Féadfaidh vótálaithe nach bhfuil in ann an bhallóid a mharcáil go neamhspleách cúnamh a iarraidh sa bhoth vótaíochta. Más deimhin leis an oifigeach ceannais go bhfuil gá le cúnamh, tugtar cead; ní gá tuilleadh doiciméad a sholáthar. Tugann na rialacha deis do vótálaithe cúnamh a fháil ó chompánach atá 16 bliana d’aois nó níos sine. Ní fhéadfaidh an duine sin cabhrú le níos mó ná beirt vótálaithe, agus féadfaidh an t-oifigeach ceannais cabhrú le vótálaithe iolracha gan teorainn. Leis an bhforáil lena dtugtar teidlíocht don oifigeach ceannais cabhrú le vótálaithe a iarrann cúnamh dúshlán rúndacht na vótála agus an dea-chleachtais ós rud é, de ghnáth, nár cheart don duine céanna cabhrú le vótálaithe iolracha. 27 Féadfaidh oifigigh ceannais iarratas ar chúnamh a dhiúltú le dhá uair an chloig roimh dhúnadh na vótaíochta má bhíonn an stáisiún vótaíochta gnóthach. Is cosúil go bhfuil an riail seo sriantach gan ghá. D’fhéadfadh ról an oifigigh ceannais a bheith ann cabhrú le vótálaithe den sórt sin duine de rogha a aithint d’fhonn cabhrú leo. Ba cheart athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an bhforáil maidir le vótáil chuidithe lena eisiamh go gcabhraíonn an duine céanna, an t-oifigeach ceannais san áireamh, le hiliomad vótálaithe. Ba chóir ceart vótálaithe cúnamh a fháil ó dhuine dá rogha féin a leathnú chuig vótáil speisialta agus ar lá an toghcháin níor cheart é a theorannú sa dá uair dheireanach roimh dhúnadh na vótaíochta. Go dearfach, agus den chéad uair, i gcomhar le Siondróm Down Éireann, tháirg an Coimisiún Toghcháin ábhair faisnéise a bhí éasca le tuiscint, lena n-áirítear treoir clárúcháin vótálaithe, a léirigh aitheantas méadaitheach go dteastaíonn tacaíocht shonrach ó vótálaithe faoi mhíchumas intleachtúil nó síceasóisialta freisin. Ar an gcaoi chéanna, nuair a tharraing an t-iarrthóir Jim Gavin “siar”, ach d’fhan sé go teicniúil sa rás, chuaigh an eagraíocht i dteagmháil leis an gCoimisiún le hiarratas a mhíniú conas is fearr na himpleachtaí a bhaineann le neamhtharraingt Gavin do vótálaithe faoi mhíchumas intleachta a mhíniú. 24 Chuir an Roinn Tithíochta seicliosta inrochtaineachta ar fáil do gach CC d’fhoirgnimh a úsáidtear d’áitreabh stáisiúin vótaíochta a d’ullmhaigh an NDA. 25 Bunaithe ar aiseolas ballraíochta, chuir DPO Guth na nDaoine le Lagamhairc (VVI) in iúl don OIDCD MMT go raibh sé deacair an teimpléad páipéir ballóide tadhlach a láimhseáil do vótálaithe lagamhairc, agus go mbeadh sé níos mó fós i dtoghcháin le go leor iarrthóirí ar an mballóid. Féach freisin Aighneacht ó VVI 2025 chuig Comhchoiste na parlaiminte maidir le Cúrsaí Míchumais. 26 Ina Aighneacht i mí an Mheithimh 2025 chuig Coiste na NA um Chearta Daoine faoi Mhíchumas, mhol IHREC don Choiste iarraidh ar an Stát “aghaidh a thabhairt ar bhacainní faisnéise, fisiciúla, cúnaimh agus dearcaidh a chuireann cosc ar dhaoine faoi mhíchumas páirt a ghlacadh sa phróiseas daonlathach agus iad a bhaint” 27 De réir Airteagal 29a. (iii) de Choinbhinsiún 2006 na NA ar Chearta Daoine faoi Mhíchumas , ráthóidh na Stáit is Páirtithe “go dtabharfar saorthoil daoine faoi mhíchumas mar thoghthóirí agus chun na críche sin, más gá, arna iarraidh sin dóibh, cúnamh le linn vótála ó dhuine dá rogha féin”. Féach freisin ar Dhearbhú Léirmhíniúcháin Athbhreithnithe Choimisiún na Veinéise ar an gCód Dea-Chleachtais maidir le Cúrsaí Toghcháin i n Rannpháirtíocht Daoine faoi Mhíchumas i dToghcháin, alt II.3.

Éire Leathanach: 10 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT VI. CLÁRÚ VÓTÁLAITHE Tá saoránaigh Éireannacha atá 18 mbliana d’aois nó níos sine agus a bhfuil cónaí buan orthu sa tír i dteideal vóta a chaitheamh. Níl aon srianta bunaithe ar mhíchumas intleachtúil nó síceasóisialta agus tá cead ag príosúnaigh vótáil freisin. Níl saoránaigh a chónaíonn go buan thar lear incháilithe chun vótáil, ach amháin i gcás taidhleoirí agus a gcéilí/bpáirtnéirí sibhialta agus pearsanra míleata. 28 Tá plé déanta ó na 1980idí i leith ar an tsaincheist maidir leis an gceart vótála a leathnú chuig gach saoránach Éireannach thar lear i dtoghcháin uachtaránachta. 29 D’fhonn síneadh a chur leis, bheadh gá le reifreann maidir leis an mBunreacht a leasú agus reachtaíocht chasta a thabhairt isteach ina dhiaidh sin chun clárú saoránach thar lear a rialáil agus na socruithe praiticiúla chun a vóta a ghlacadh. 30 Mheas formhór na n-idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT go raibh an beartas reatha éagórach; mar sin féin, níl aon chomhdhearcadh polaitiúil ann maidir le ceart vótála a leathnú chuig gach saoránach thar lear nó chuig na saoránaigh sin amháin a bhfuil cónaí orthu i dTuaisceart Éireann. Cé nach n-éilíonn aon ghealltanas atá ann faoi láthair ar Stát rannpháirteach de chuid an ESCE cearta vótála a leathnú chuig a shaoránaigh thar lear, d’fhéadfadh go ndéanfaí dúshlán do phrionsabal na vótála comhionainne dá ndéanfaí saincheadú ar roinnt saoránach thar lear ach ní go léir acu i dtoghchán uachtaránachta. 31 Má thugtar isteach vótáil lasmuigh den tír, ba cheart nósanna imeachta clárúcháin agus vótála a dhéanamh aonfhoirmeach do gach vótálaí incháilithe thar lear chun an ceart vótála céanna a áirithiú. Tá clárú vótálaithe gníomhach agus díláraithe, agus cláir á gcoimeád ag oifigí clárúcháin i 31 údarás áitiúil ar fud na tíre. Ní cheanglaítear ar vótálaithe cruthúnas ar dhíchlárú a chur i láthair i ndáilcheantar amháin agus iad ag clárú i ndáilcheantar eile, agus níl aon mheicníocht chuimsitheach ann chun cruinneas an chláir a sheiceáil nó chun iontrálacha dúblacha nó iomarcacha a bhaint. Mar sin féin, léirigh formhór na n- idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT muinín sa phróiseas clárúcháin agus níor ardaigh siad imní faoi vótáil iolrach. Rinne an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 foráil do bhunachar sonraí náisiúnta clár vótálaithe a bhunú, an Córas Clárúcháin Toghcháin Rialtais Áitiúil (LGERS). Táthar ag súil leis na 31 clár áitiúil a chumasc in aon bhunachar sonraí infhíoraithe amháin arna chothabháil ag Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath mar an tÚdarás Clárúcháin Ainmnithe faoi dheireadh 2026. Mar thionscadal píolótach, rinneadh cláir vótálaithe cheithre údarás áitiúla Bhaile Átha Cliath a chumasc in aon bhunachar sonraí infhíoraithe amháin, a bhfuil rochtain ag vótálaithe Bhaile Átha Cliath air, lena gclárú nó lena dtaifid a nuashonrú. Beidh an t-ardán seo ina phointe iontrála náisiúnta aonair faoi dheireadh do chlárúchán vótálaithe ar líne. Idir an dá linn, bhí na 27 clár áitiúla eile inrochtana ar líne do vótálaithe trí thairseach ar leith. Fógraíodh an dá chóras ar líne go forleathan. Dúshlán ar leith maidir le cruinneas na gclár vótálaithe a fheabhsú is ea an easpa aitheantóra uathúil ar thaifid vótálaithe. 32 Tá sé i gceist an uimhir Phearsanta Seirbhíse Poiblí (UPSP) a thabhairt isteach ar thaifid vótálaithe in éineacht le hÉirchód na vótálaithe (cód aitheantais áitribh) agus dáta breithe chun feabhas a chur ar an gcruinneas. Cé nach gceanglaítear go dlíthiúil ar an UPSP a bheith ar chlár na 28 Féadfaidh saoránaigh atá thar lear go sealadach le haghaidh oibre, staidéir nó gnó a gclárúchán a choinneáil in Éirinn ar feadh tréimhse suas le 18 mí agus filleadh abhaile chun vótáil ar lá an toghcháin. 29 Féach freisin an Cúigiú Tuarascáil 2013 den Choinbhinsiún maidir leis an mBunreacht a Leasú chun ceart vótála a thabhairt do shaoránaigh a bhfuil cónaí orthu lasmuigh den Stát i dtoghcháin uachtaránachta ag ambasáidí na hÉireann, nó eile. 30 In 2019 chuir an rialtas an Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Toghcháin Uachtaránachta) i láthair chun an síneadh sin a éascú, ach níor éirigh leis le teacht Covid- 19 agus na srianta a tháinig ina dhiaidh sin. 31 Geallann alt 7.3 de Dhoiciméad Chóbanhávan an ESCE 1990 go ndéanfaidh Stáit rannpháirteacha “ceart vótála uilíoch agus comhionann a ráthú do shaoránaigh aosacha”. 32 I dtuarascáil mhaoirseachta a rinneadh le déanaí, d’aithin an Coimisiún Toghcháin bearnaí suntasacha cruinnis ar fud na tíre agus mhol sé feabhsuithe, lena n-áirítear méadú suntasach ar mhaoiniú, iniúchtaí cruinnis a dhéanamh, agus pleananna soiléire dul chun cinn agus tagarmharcanna a thabhairt isteach chun na cláir a fheabhsú.

Éire Leathanach: 11 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT dtoghthóirí, ceanglaítear air iarratas ar chlárú vótálaithe ar líne a chomhlánú. 33 Déanann an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin foráil freisin do “liosta toghthóirí atá ar feitheamh”, a ligeann do dhaoine 16 agus 17 mbliana d’aois réamhchlárú agus a chur go huathoibríoch le clár na vótálaithe nuair a shroicheann siad 18 mbliana d’aois. D’fhéadfadh vótálaithe clárú go dtí an 7 Deireadh Fómhair, agus spriocdháta an 29 Meán Fómhair d’iarratais ar vótáil phoist agus ar vótáil speisialta. Cláraíodh 3,614,450 vótálaí san iomlán don toghchán seo, lena n-áirítear 14,566 vótálaí ar liostaí postvótálaithe, agus 16,154 vótálaí ar liostaí vótálaithe speisialta. Chuir gach oifig chlárúcháin a clár nuashonraithe ar fáil lena iniúchadh ag an bpobal tar éis an spriocdháta agus seoladh cártaí vótaíochta ina raibh uimhir chláraithe an vótálaí agus seoladh an stáisiúin vótaíochta chuig gach vótálaí cláraithe agus incháilithe roimh lá an toghcháin. 34 De réir an dlí, d’fhéadfadh íospartaigh drochíde baile, iarratas a dhéanamh a bheith gan ainm agus gan a bheith le feiceáil ar aon chlár vótálaithe; vótálann vótálaithe gan ainm trí bhallóid phoist. 35 Forálann an dlí do vótáil phoist do thaidhleoirí atá ag fónamh thar lear agus dá gcéilí nó dá gcomhpháirtithe, pearsanra míleata, oifigigh póilíní, daoine aonair a choinnítear i bpríosúin nó in ionaid choinneála, agus foireann vótaíochta atá ag fónamh lasmuigh dá limistéar buanchláraithe. Is féidir le vótálaithe a gcuireann a ngairm, a seirbhís nó a bhfostaíocht cosc orthu vótáil go pearsanta ar lá an toghcháin, agus mic léinn lánaimseartha a chónaíonn as baile agus iad ag staidéar in Éirinn clárú chun vótáil tríd an bpost freisin. 36 Féadfaidh vótálaithe nach bhfuil in ann vótáil go pearsanta ag stáisiúin vótaíochta rialta mar gheall ar bhreoiteacht nó míchumas, ach nach bhfuil cónaí orthu i dteach cúraim nó i saoráid dá samhail, iarratas a dhéanamh ar bhallóid phoist freisin, ach ní mór dóibh deimhniú leighis a sholáthar. Is cosúil go bhfuil an ceanglas deimhniú a fháil agus a thíolacadh ó lia-chleachtóir ró-thuirsiúil agus ró- chostasach do vótálaithe breoite agus do vótálaithe faoi mhíchumas. Ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar gach muirear a bhaineann le deimhniú leighis a fhorchuirtear ar dhaoine a dhéanann iarratas ar phostvótáil mar gheall ar bhreoiteacht nó míchumais a tharscaoileadh. Tá vótáil speisialta ar fáil do vótálaithe breoite nó do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas a bhfuil cónaí orthu in áiseanna altranais, i dtithe cúraim nó in ospidéil. Is cineál réamhvótála soghluaiste é a dhéanann oifigigh ceannais speisialta roimh lá an toghcháin a thugann na hábhair bhallóide chuig na vótálaithe agus a riarann vótáil ar an láthair. Ní fhéadfaidh ach na Póilíní a bheith i láthair nuair a dhéanann an t-oifigeach ceannais speisialta an vótáil, agus má iarrtar cúnamh, ní fhéadfaidh ach an t -oifigeach ceannais speisialta é a sholáthar; ag teacht salach ar Airteagal 29 de CRPD na NA. Reáchtáil an Coimisiún Toghcháin feachtas cuimsitheach feasachta maidir le clárú vótálaithe trí úsáid a bhaint as raon cur chuige nuálach sna meáin thraidisiúnta agus ar ardáin ar líne araon. 37 D’fhreastail fostaithe an Choimisiúin ar imeachtaí poiblí il- laethúla ar nós ceolchoirmeacha faoin aer agus comórtais spóirt a spreagann freastalaithe a gcuid sonraí a chlárú nó a nuashonrú, chun teacht ar na vótálaithe óga agus neamhchláraithe. Chuir údaráis áitiúla clárúcháin in iúl don OIDCD MMT go ndearna siad gníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana vótálaithe freisin agus chomhoibrigh roinnt acu freisin le grúpaí sochaí 33 Chuir an PRO in iúl don OIDCD MMT nach bhfuil UPSP éigeantach chun clárú chun vótáil. Ní féidir le vótálaithe nach soláthraíonn an UPSP clárú ar líne; ní mór dóibh foirm iarratais ar pháipéir a chomhlánú agus a gcéannacht a fhíorú go pearsanta (ag stáisiún póilíní nó ag an údarás clárúcháin áitiúil) sula gcuireann siad an fhoirm isteach chun clárú. 34 Ceadaítear fiosrúcháin tríú páirtí faoi thaifid chlár na vótálaithe. Níl an liosta ar feitheamh mar a thugtar air do dhaoine 16 bliana d’aois agus 17 mbliana d’aois faoi réir foilsithe agus iniúchta. 35 Síneann an ceart chun bheith ina vótálaí gan ainm chuig baill de theaghlach an duine a mbeadh a shábháilteacht i mbaol dá bhfoilseofaí a n- ainm agus a seoladh ar an liosta vótálaithe. 36 Chuir an Coimisiún Toghcháin in iúl don OIDCD MMT go bhfuil sé ar intinn aige taighde a dhéanamh ar an bhféidearthacht an vótáil phoist a leathnú chuig catagóirí breise amhail vótálaithe go sealadach thar lear le haghaidh oibre nó fóillíochta ar lá an toghcháin, agus sláine na vótála á cosaint ag an am céanna. 37 Dhírigh gníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana ar an leibhéal áitiúil freisin ar vótálaithe cláraithe nach bhfuil aon cheann de na trí aitheantóir ar a dtaifid. Dúirt an oifig chlárúcháin i nDún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin leis an OIDCD MMT gur sheol siad litreacha chuig thart ar 20,000 vótálaí ar an gclár a raibh réimsí sonraí in easnamh ina dtaifid, ag iarraidh orthu a UPSP, a nÉirchód agus a ndáta breithe a sholáthar.

Éire Leathanach: 12 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT sibhialta a dhéanann ionadaíocht ar phobail faoi ghannionadaíocht, lena n- áirítear Lucht Siúil na hÉireann, chun teagmháil a dhéanamh le vótálaithe neamhchláraithe sna pobail seo. VII. CLÁRÚ IARRTHÓRA Tá gach saoránach os cionn 35 bliana d’aois i dteideal seasamh do phost oifige. Ní mór iarrthóirí uachtaránachta a bheith ainmnithe ag fiche comhalta ar a laghad den pharlaimint, nó ag comhairlí áitiúla nach lú ná ceithre chontae riaracháin (nó contaebhuirgí). 38 Féadfaidh iar-uachtaráin nó uachtaráin atá i mbun oifige agus atá ag lorg atoghadh iad féin a ainmniú, ach uair amháin a cheadaítear dóibh é sin a dhéanamh. Bhí an tréimhse ainmniúcháin ar siúl ón 5 go dtí an 24 Meán Fómhair. Ní mór do dhaoine aonair atá ag lorg tacaíochta d’ainmniúcháin ar an leibhéal áitiúil a chinntiú go ritheann gach ceann de na comhairlí (nó corparáidí) rún chuige sin agus go gcuireann sé a shéala leis an bpáipéar ainmniúcháin sula gcuirtear faoi bhráid an PRO é. Scrúdaíonn an PRO páipéir ainmniúcháin ar an lá deireanach den ainmniúchán tar éis don spriocdháta iarratais dul in éag. Ní mór d’iarrthóirí nó a n- ionadaithe údaraithe freastal ar an scrúdú, ar a bhfreastalaíonn measúnóir breithiúnach freisin atá ina uachtarán ar an Ard-Chúirt nó ina bhreitheamh eile arna ainmniú ag an gcúirt sin. Ní mór cur síos gairid ar an iarrthóir a bheith sna páipéir ainmniúcháin lena n-áirítear sloinne, slí bheatha agus seoladh. Tá an PRO i dteideal an tuairisc a leasú má mheastar é a bheith mícheart, mura leor é chun an duine a shainaithint, nó mura bhfuil sé rófhada. Ag an am céanna, soláthraíonn an dlí cosaint i gcoinne páipéar ainmniúcháin a bheith neamhbhailí má tá earráid nó easnamh i gcur síos an iarrthóra ar choinníoll go bhfuil céannacht an duine saor ó amhras. Féadfaidh an PRO na páipéir ainmniúcháin a dhiúltú má theipeann ar iarrthóirí na critéir incháilitheachta a chomhlíonadh nó má mheastar a bpáipéir ainmniúcháin a bheith neamhbhailí. I measc na bhforas le haghaidh neamhbhailíochta tá sínithe míchuí, easpa an iarrthóra nó a ghníomhaire le linn an scrúdaithe, diúltú cead a thabhairt don PRO cur síos an iarrthóra a leasú, nó fógra aistarraingthe a chur isteach roimh dheireadh na n-ainmniúchán. Cé nach gceadaíonn an dlí go sainráite d’iarrthóirí nó dá ngníomhairí an ceart chun botúin nó easnaimh a cheartú seachas iad siúd a bhaineann le cur síos an duine, dhearbhaigh an PRO don OIDCD MMT go dtugtar an deis d’iarrthóirí mar sin féin earráidí a cheartú le linn an scrúdaithe. Ba cheart an reachtaíocht a leasú chun an ceart follasach a thabhairt d’iarrthóirí ionchasacha botúin nó easnaimh a cheartú ina bpáipéir ainmniúcháin roimh an rialú ar ainmniúcháin. Cláraíodh triúr iarrthóirí le rith sa toghchán tar éis scrúdú a dhéanamh ar pháipéir ainmniúcháin, is iad sin Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (Neamhspleách, 35 síniú), Jim Gavin (Fianna Fáil, 52 siniú) agus Heather Humphreys (Fine Gael, 53 siniú). Cháin roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT an chaoi ar chuir an dá príomhpháirtí polaitíochta smacht an pháirtí i bhfeidhm ar a chomhairleoirí áitiúla agus ar fheisirí parlaiminte le linn an toghcháin seo. D’áitigh siad gur chuir an cleachtas seo iarrthóirí neamhspleácha faoi mhíbhuntáiste trí theorannú a dhéanamh ar a gcumas na hainmniúcháin riachtanacha a fháil, rud a d’fhéadfadh an bonn a bhaint d’iomaíochas phróiseas ainmniúcháin an iarrthóra agus toghchán na huachtaránachta féin araon. 39 Ar an 5 Deireadh Fómhair, d’fhógair an t-iarrthóir uachtaránachta Jim Gavin go raibh sé ag tarraingt siar ón bhfeachtas. Tar éis dul i gcomhairle leis an Ard- Aighne, shoiléirigh an PRO nach bhféadfadh iarrthóir tarraingt siar tar éis an rialaithe ar ainmniúcháin, agus go n- éilíonn an dlí go mbeadh ainmneacha agus tuairiscí na n-iarrthóirí cláraithe sa bhallóid. 40 Dá réir sin, bhí rogha ag vótálaithe idir triúr iarrthóirí ar lá an toghcháin. 38 Ní fhéadfaidh aon chomhalta den pharlaimint ná den chomhairle áitiúil níos mó ná iarrthóir amháin a ainmniú sa toghchán céanna. 39 Fuair an PRO 2 ainmniúchán ó thrí chomhairle áitiúla do Gareth Patrick agus Kieran McCarthy ach diúltaíodh don bheirt mar gheall nár chomhlíon siad an riachtanas dlíthiúil go gcaithfidh iarrthóir a bheith ainmnithe ag ceithre chomhairle ar a laghad. 40 Féach Ráiteas PRO 5 Deireadh Fómhair agus Ceisteanna Coitianta ag soiléiriú go bhfanfadh Jim Gavin ar ballóid.

Éire Leathanach: 13 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT VIII. FEACHTAS TOGHCHÁIN A. C REAT DLÍTHIÚIL AGUS RIALACHÁIN Cé go ráthaítear go bunreachtúil na saoirsí bunúsacha cainte, comhlachais, agus comhthionóil shíochánta atá ábhartha d’iomaíocht toghcháin, ní sholáthraíonn an creat dlíthiúil ach rialú teoranta ar fhoirmeacha traidisiúnta feachtasaíochta. Leagann sé síos frámaí chun póstaeir feachtais a chur agus a bhaint, agus tugann sé teideal d’iarrthóirí cumarsáid feachtais amháin a sheoladh tríd an bpost chuig gach teaghlach saor in aisce. 41 Tá cosc ar ghníomhaíocht pholaitiúil agus ar ábhair feachtais laistigh agus taobh istigh de 50 méadar ó stáisiúin vótaíochta ar lá an toghcháin, le linn na vótaíochta, agus ar feadh leathuaire roimh agus ina dhiaidh. Níl aon rialacha ann lena sainítear cineálacha eile feachtasaíochta agus an tréimhse inar féidir cineálacha éagsúla gníomhaíochtaí feachtais a dhéanamh. Ní shamhlaítear tréimhse tosta feachtais, ach amháin i gcás riachtanais ‘cúram breise’ a bhaineann leis na meáin (féach rannóg na Meán). Tá forbairt shuntasach tagtha ar an gcreat rialála sa réimse digiteach le blianta beaga anuas, lena n-áirítear mar fhreagairt ar fhorbairtí ar leibhéal an AE, atá mar chuid den Chreat Sábháilteachta Ar Líne ar a dtugtar air. Áirítear leis sin an tAcht um Rialáil Sábháilteachta ar Líne agus na Meán, atá i bhfeidhm ó Mhárta 2023, a bhunaigh rialtóir na meán, Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM), agus a bhfuil cumhachtaí aige maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar ardáin na meán sóisialta agus comhroinnte físeáin trí chóid cheangailteacha sábháilteachta ar líne. 42 Ag tógáil ar an gcreat seo, rinneadh Acht um Sheirbhísí Digiteacha an AE (DSA) a thrasuí sa reachtaíocht náisiúnta tríd an Acht um Sheirbhísí Digiteacha na hÉireann. 43 Tá CnaM ainmnithe mar Chomhordaitheoir na Seirbhísí Digiteacha (DSC), le cumhachtaí chun gearáin a láimhseáil, imscrúdú, fíneálacha a ghearradh, agus fógraí comhlíonta agus orduithe a eisiúint chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar sháruithe ag soláthraithe seirbhísí idirghabhálaí ar líne. Ag an am céanna, díreach sular tháinig Rialachán an AE maidir le Trédhearcacht agus Spriocdhíriú na Fógraíochta Polaitiúla (2024/900) (TTPA) i bhfeidhm ar fud an AE in 2025, d’eisigh an Coimisiún Eorpach treoirlínte cur chun feidhme, 44 agus d’fhoilsigh an rialtas na rialacháin náisiúnta um chur chun feidhme TTPA an 10 Deireadh Fómhair. 45 D’ainmnigh an dara ceann an Coimisiún Toghcháin mar lárphointe náisiúnta agus leagadh amach ann freagrachtaí maoirseachta agus forfheidhmithe i measc an Choimisiúin Toghcháin, CnaM, agus an Choimisiúin um Chosaint Sonraí. Ó tháinig an TTPA i bhfeidhm i lár an fheachtais, dheonaigh an rialtas “tréimhse chairde” go dtí an 31 Deireadh Fómhair sula mbeadh feidhm ag an bhforfheidhmiú chun mearbhall ar na rialacha is infheidhme a sheachaint. Beartaíodh leis an Acht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 cumhachtaí faireacháin agus imscrúdaithe a dheonú don Choimisiún Toghcháin ar ardáin ar líne le linn tréimhsí toghcháin chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar mhífhaisnéis agus ar bhréagaisnéis agus ar iompraíocht ionramhálach nó bhréagach. Níor cuireadh tús leis na forálacha sin, go páirteach mar gheall ar imní ón gCoimisiún Eorpach maidir lena n- ailíniú leis an DSA agus rialacha níos leithne an Mhargaidh Aonair Dhigitigh, rud a d’fhág nach raibh cumhachtaí reachtúla ag an gCoimisiún Toghcháin sa réimse seo tráth an toghcháin. 46 Ar leibhéal an bheartais, chuir páirtithe leasmhara fáilte roimh ghlacadh na Straitéise Náisiúnta Frithdhífhaisnéise i mí Aibreáin 2025 mar iarracht chun feabhas a chur ar chomhoibriú institiúideach maidir le bréagaisnéis. 47 Mar sin féin, bhí aiféala ar idirghabhálaithe ODIHR EAM gur fhan sé uaillmhianach den chuid is mó, nach raibh treochlár nithiúil ann maidir le maoirseacht ardáin agus 41 De réir an Achta um Thruailliú ó Bhruscar, 1997, is féidir póstaeir a thaispeáint ó 30 lá roimh an toghchán nó ó dháta sínithe Ordú Toghcháin an Uachtaráin, agus ní mór iad a bhaint laistigh de 7 lá tar éis an toghcháin. 42 Chuir an chéad Chód Sábháilteachta Ar Líne , a foilsíodh i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2024, dualgais ar ardáin comhroinnte físeáin le ceanncheathrú an AE in Éirinn chun úsáideoirí a chosaint ar ábhar díobhálach agus bhunaigh sé smachtbhannaí mar gheall ar sháruithe. 43 Rinne an tAcht um DSA na hÉireann, 2024 leasú freisin ar an Acht Craolacháin, 2009 agus ar reachtaíocht eile chun an córas maoirseachta agus forfheidhmithe náisiúnta a bhunú faoi DSA an AE. 44 Féach Treoirlínte chun tacú le cur chun feidhme Rialachán (AE), 2024/900 maidir le trédhearcacht agus spriocdhíriú na fógraíochta polaitiúla, an Coimisiún Eorpach, 8 Deireadh Fómhair 2025. 45 Féach Rialacháin an Aontais Eorpaigh um Fhógraíocht Pholaitiúil, 2025, I.R. Uimh. 474 de 2025, 10 Deireadh Fómhair 2025. 46 Féach Fógra 2024/0374/IE ón gCoimisiún Eorpach an 1 Deireadh Fómhair 2024. 47 D’ainmnigh an rialtas 1.1 milliún EUR chun tacú le cur chun feidhme na straitéise .

Éire Leathanach: 14 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT bearta a thugann aghaidh ar algartaim ‘chórais molta’. 48 Breathnaíodh ar an easpa trédhearcachta algartamaigh agus ar chumas teoranta na rialtóirí a mí-úsáid a aithint agus a chosc mar leochaileachtaí leanúnacha. Tríd is tríd, bhunaigh an creat rialála digiteach atá ag teacht chun cinn an phríomh- ailtireacht le haghaidh na meán sóisialta agus maoirseacht ar shláine toghcháin dhigitigh. Mar sin féin, d’fhan bearnaí rialála le linn an toghcháin seo maidir le maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar ábhar ar líne, bréagaisnéis, mífhaisnéis, iompraíocht bhréagach comhordaithe, agus fógraíocht pholaitiúil, ar feitheamh tuilleadh forbartha agus ailínithe reachtaíochta. Ba cheart d’údaráis tosaíocht a thabhairt do chomhlánú agus d’fheidhmiú na socruithe rialála digiteacha atá ábhartha do thoghcháin trí fhorálacha an Achta um Athchóirithe Toghcháin atá fós gan réiteach a athbhreithniú, a thabhairt cothrom le dáta agus, de réir mar is iomchuí, a thosú ar bhealach atá comhsheasmhach le rialacha an AE maidir le Seirbhísí Digiteacha agus an Mhargaidh Aonair Dhigitigh. Ba cheart go gcinnteodh sé sin go bhfuil cumhachtaí reachtúla éifeachtacha dílsithe ag an gCoimisiún Toghcháin chun faireachán a dhéanamh ar rioscaí a bhaineann le hábhar ar líne le linn tréimhsí toghcháin agus chun aghaidh a thabhairt orthu. B. T IMPEALLACHT FEACHTAIS Mar is gnách do thoghcháin uachtaránachta in Éirinn, bhí an feachtas dírithe go mór ar phearsantacht. I bhfianaise nádúr searmanais an phoist den chuid is mó, dhírigh iarrthóirí ar cháilíochtaí pearsanta, ionracas, agus oiriúnacht don oifig, agus ag an am céanna chuir siad fís den uachtaránacht chun cinn mar ról aontaithe ina gcuimsítear luachanna comhroinnte, ceannaireacht mhorálta, agus ionadaíocht do gach saoránach. Ag an am céanna, bhí téamaí níos leithne cosúil le beartas eachtrach, tithíocht agus imirce le feiceáil go rialta sa dioscúrsa, agus tástáladh poist na n-iarrthóirí freisin ar shaincheisteanna lasmuigh de shainchúram na huachtaránachta. Mar gheall ar an mbéim láidir ar thaifid phearsanta bhí iarrthóirí faoi réir dian‑ghrinnscrúdú ón bpobal agus ó na meáin, rud a d’fhéadfadh, dar le roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT, a bheith thar a bheith ionsáiteach agus díobhálach ar leibhéal pearsanta, agus a d’fhéadfadh iarrthóirí ionchasacha a dhíspreagadh ó dhul san iomaíocht. Nuair a tharraing Jim Gavin siar ón rás, rinneadh dinimic an fheachtais a athmhúnlú ina chomórtas de facto dhá iarrthóir. Bhí a chinneadh ina chúis le suaitheadh laistigh dá pháirtí ainmniúcháin, Fianna Fáil, 49 a spreag athruithe ar fhormhuinithe na n-iarrthóirí, agus chuir sé béim níos géire ar na hiomaitheoirí eile. 50 Chuir cúngú breise ar roghanna vótálaithe imní ar an bpobal faoi rogha theoranta freisin, rud a léiríodh i nglaonna méadaithe ar vótálaithe chun a mballóid a mhilleadh ar lá an toghcháin. 51 Rinne an bheirt iarrthóirí eile canbhasáil go gníomhach ar fud na tíre, ag déanamh iarrachtaí achomharc a dhéanamh chuig grúpaí sochaíocha éagsúla, lena n- áirítear daoine óga, mná, seanóirí, daoine faoi mhíchumas, agus iad siúd a bhfuil cúlraí éagsúla acu. 52 Thug siad tús áite d’fheachtasaíocht ó dhoras go doras, póstaeir, bileoga, agus imeachtaí beaga le haghaidh for-rochtana vótálaithe. D’iompaigh an méid a thosaigh mar fheachtas cairdiúil ag éirí níos sáraíochta de réir mar a bhí lá an toghcháin ag druidim linn. De réir mar a léirigh pobalbhreitheanna Connolly Uas chun tosaigh, bhí a feachtas mar sprioc ag cáineadh níos géire ó chéilí comhraic. 48 Tharraing an easpa aird ar úsáid ionramhálach na n-algartam ‘córais molta’ i ndoiciméid bheartais, lena n-áirítear an Cód Sábháilteachta Ar Líne agus an Straitéis Náisiúnta Frithbhréagaisnéise, imní ó ICCL agus níos mó ná 60 eagraíocht sular glacadh leis an gcéad cheann. In ainneoin a thogra tosaigh don Chód Sábháilteachta Ar Líne chun iallach a chur ar ardáin próifíliú ‘córas moltaí’ a mhúchadh de réir réamhshocraithe, mhol CnaM ina dhiaidh sin gur fearr aghaidh a thabhairt ar na hábhair sin faoin DSA. 49 Bhí ceisteanna inmheánacha os comhair Fianna Fáil faoina phróiseas roghnúcháin iarrthóirí. I suirbhé a foilsíodh tar éis do Gavin tarraingt siar, thit rátaí tacaíochta an rialtais, an phríomh-aire agus an pháirtí. 50 Cé gur lean Connolly ar aghaidh ag brath ar thacaíocht ó thaobh comhdhlúite de pháirtithe forásacha agus polaiteoirí ar thaobh na láimhe clé den speictream polaitíochta, mheall iarrthóireacht Humphreys Uas tacaíocht bhreise ó pholaiteoirí ag Fianna Fáil, lena n-áirítear an príomh-aire, páirtithe eile, agus neamhspleáigh. 51 Seoladh feachtas Mill an Vóta seachtain amháin roimh lá an toghcháin, tar éis iomadú glaonna ar na meáin shóisialta ar vótálaithe a vóta a mhilleadh mar fhreagra ar rogha teoranta iarrthóirí ar an mballóid. 52 Reáchtáladh feachtas Connolly Uas ar bhealach an- tarraingteach, agus bhí féilire imeachtaí agus ábhar i bhformáidí téacs mór atá éasca le léamh do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas ar shuíomh gréasáin a feachtais .

Éire Leathanach: 15 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Seachas ceanglais a fhoirmítear go ginearálta a bheith neamhchlaonta agus freastal ar leas an phobail, ní rialaíonn reachtaíocht eitice dóibh siúd atá i bpoist thofa agus d’oifigigh phoiblí, chomh maith leis na cóid iompair ghaolmhara feachtasaíocht ag oifigigh phoiblí nó ní éilíonn siad deighilt idir a ngníomhaíochtaí polaitiúla agus a bhfeidhmeanna poiblí. 53 Ar an gcaoi chéanna, ní thugann treoirlínte an Choimisiúin um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí (CCOP), cé go leagtar amach rialacha a bhaineann le húsáid acmhainní poiblí, aghaidh ar rannpháirtíocht oifigeach poiblí i bhfeachtais toghcháin. 54 Go praiticiúil, bhí iarrthóirí ag brath go mór ar pháirtithe, lucht tacaíochta agus oibrithe deonacha a fhormhuiniú mar chnámh droma oibriúcháin agus slógtha a bhfeachtas. Is minic a chuimsigh sé sin oifigigh phoiblí, Teachtaí Dála, Seanadóirí, agus comhairleoirí áitiúla – a bhí ag canbhasáil, ag dáileadh ábhar nó ag láithriú sna meáin le hiarrthóirí nó thar ceann iad, ag tagairt uaireanta dá bpoist oifigiúla, nó ag nascadh gníomhaíochtaí feachtais lena ndualgais aireachta. 55 Cé gur tugadh faoi deara iarrachtaí inmholta chun idirdhealú a dhéanamh idir gníomhaíochtaí poiblí agus feachtais i gcásanna áirithe, i gcásanna eile, ní raibh an líne idir an dá rud inaitheanta ag vótálaithe, contrártha le Gealltanais an ESCE agus an dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. 56 D’fhonn deighilt shoiléir idir feachtasaíocht agus feidhmeanna poiblí a áirithiú, ba cheart go saineofaí go soiléir sa chreat dlíthiúil raon feidhme na ngníomhaíochtaí ceadaithe ag oifigigh phoiblí le linn feachtais. D’fhéadfadh forbairt treoirlínte praiticiúla d’iarrthóirí, do pháirtithe, agus d’oifigigh phoiblí a théann i ngleic leis na gnéithe sin comhlíonadh a éascú. Léirigh roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT imní faoi leitheadúlacht mhéadaithe an dioscúrsa tocsaineach, ionsaitheach agus imeaglach a dhíríonn ar iarrthóirí agus ar fhigiúirí poiblí eile. Chuir beirt den triúr iarrthóirí tosaigh, Jim Gavin agus Heather Humphreys, imní in iúl go poiblí faoin tionchar pearsanta agus clú a bhí ag feachtais smearaidh a dhírigh orthu féin agus ar a dteaghlaigh. Thug idirghabhálaithe faoi deara, cé go dtarlaíonn ciapadh agus imeaglú as líne ó am go chéile, go bhfuil cleachtais den sórt sin forleathan ar líne. 57 Leag cuid mhór taighde roimhe seo, lena n- áirítear Tascfhórsa tiomnaithe ar Rannpháirtíocht Shábháilte sa Saol Polaitiúil, a bhunaigh an pharlaimint, béim ar phatrúin leanúnacha mí-úsáide agus ciaptha, ag tabhairt le fios nach bhfuil na dinimic seo eipeasóideach ach go léiríonn siad leochaileacht leanúnach níos leithne sa saol poiblí agus polaitiúil. 58 D’fhéadfadh údaráis ábhartha, i gcomhar leis an bparlaimint, páirtithe, agus an tsochaí shibhialta, smaoineamh ar chreat a fhorbairt agus a oibriú chun ciapadh, imeaglú agus mí-úsáid a chosc agus aghaidh a thabhairt air a dhíríonn ar dhaoine aonair atá ag gabháil don saol polaitiúil. D’fhéadfadh meicníochtaí monatóireachta agus tuairiscithe teagmhais, comhordú institiúideach neartaithe, agus 53 Tá eitic oifige poiblí á rialú ag an Acht um Eitic in Oifigí Poiblí, 1995 agus ag an Acht um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí, 2001. Baineann Cóid Iompair le státseirbhísigh, sealbhóirí oifige, Teachtaí Dála, seanadóirí, agus comhairleoirí áitiúla. 54 Féach na Treoirlínte maidir le Toghchán na hUachtaránachta a thionólfar ar an 24 Deireadh Fómhair,2025, SIPO, lch. 23- 24. 55 Bhí Martin Heydon, an tAire Talmhaíochta, agus Jack Chambers, an tAire Caiteachais Phoiblí, mar Stiúrthóirí Toghcháin d’Fhine Gael agus Fianna Fáil faoi seach, agus chuaigh siad i mbun feachtais d’iarrthóirí Humphreys agus Gavin, faoi seach. Cháin an Príomh- Aire Micheá l Martin, agus é á chur i láthair mar dhuine a bhí ag labhairt i gcáil oifigiúil, an t-iarrthóir Connolly i bpost X a pháirtí. I bpost bolscaireachta, thacaigh na hAirí Stáit Marian Harkin, Michael Healy-Rae, Noel Grealish, agus Kevin Moran le Humphreys agus iad á gcur i láthair mar dhaoine a bhí ag labhairt ina gcáileanna oifigiúla. Breathnaíodh Simon Harris, Leas-Phríomh- Aire agus Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha, agus Peter Burke, an tAire Fiontar (post X), agus Hildegarde Naughton, an tAire Stáit, agus Paschal Donohoe, an tAire Airgeadais (post X) ag canbhasáil don iarrthóir Humphreys le linn a raibh an chuma air gur uaireanta oibre iad. 56 Forálann mír 5.4 de Dhoiciméad Chóbanhávan ESCE 1990 do “deighilt shoiléir idir an Stát agus páirtithe polaitíochta; go háirithe, ní dhéanfar páirtithe polaitiúla a chumasc leis an Stát.” Ceanglaítear le halt 4.2 de OIDCD agus Comhthreoirlínte Choimisiún na Veinéise maidir le Mí-Úsáid Acmhainní Riaracháin a Chosc agus a Fhreagairt le linn Próisis Toghcháin go ndéanfaí an dlí “foráil do dheighilt shoiléir idir feidhmiú post poiblí atá íogair ó thaobh na polaitíochta de, go háirithe poist bhainistíochta shinsearacha, agus iarrthóireacht”. 57 Rinne na póilíní idirghabháil in aon chás amháin d’ionsaí ar bheirt bhan a bhí ag canbhasáil ar son Connolly. 58 De réir athbhreithniú an CnaM agus suirbhé an Tascfhórsa ar Rannpháirtíocht Sábháilte sa Saol Polaitiúil, tháinig 60 faoin gcéad de na hiarrthóirí in olltoghcháin agus i dtoghcháin áitiúla 2024 agus 73 faoin gcéad d’ionadaithe tofa agus d’fhoireann pholaitiúil ar iompar maslach nó bagrach ar líne. Taifeadadh i dtuarascáil ón Institiúid um Chomhphlé Straitéiseach agus an Comhchoiteann Dóchais agus Misneach 55 eachtra d’fhoréigean, bagairtí agus ciapadh a bhí spreagtha go polaitiúil, agus ar tharla 90 faoin gcéad díobh ar líonraí sóisialta. Féach freisin ar réamhthorthaí Fhaireachlann na Meán Digiteach Eorpach (EDMO) in Éirinn ar an 25 Deireadh Fómhair 2025.

Éire Leathanach: 16 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT bearta tacaíochta a bheith san áireamh leis sin chun rannpháirtíocht shábháilte i ngnóthaí poiblí a áirithiú, as líne agus ar líne araon. Thug idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT faoi deara freisin méadú ar reitric ina bhfuil gnéithe de ghríosú chun foréigin agus fuatha, lena n- áirítear caint chiníoch, frithbhanda agus éadulangach a dhíríonn ar dhaoine a bhfuil cúlraí leochaileacha trasnaithe acu, go háirithe ar líne. 59 Ag an am céanna, measadh nár léirigh tuarascálacha agus ionchúiseamh cionta den sórt sin a leitheadúlacht mar gheall ar an easpa sonraí cuimsitheacha agus tearcthuairisciú a bhain le héadairbhe braite. 60 Cé gur neartaigh an tAcht um Cheartas Coiriúil (Cionta Fuatha), 2024 cosaintí in aghaidh coireanna fuatha, níor thug sé aghaidh ar ghríosú foréigin nó fuatha, rud a d’fhág rialachán faoin Acht um Thoirmeasc ar Ghríosú chun Fuatha, 1989. 61 In ainneoin glaonna náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta roimhe seo ar rialacháin neartaithe cainte, tá liosta na dtréithe cosanta fós neamhiomlán. 62 Éilíonn an tAcht freisin cruthúnas intinne chun fuath a ghríosú, seachas a éifeacht dhíobhálach amháin, rud a chuireann srian lena in-fhorghníomhaitheacht phraiticiúil agus lena éifeachtúlacht. 63 Ba cheart do na húdaráis an reachtaíocht maidir le caint ghríosaitheach a neartú, lena n- áirítear trí liosta na saintréithe cosanta a leathnú chun ailíniú le dlíthe náisiúnta comhionannais agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta. D’fhéadfaí freagrachtaí institiúideacha maidir le faireachán agus forfheidhmiú, lena n-áirítear le linn tréimhsí toghcháin, a shoiléiriú agus a chomhordú ar bhealach níos fearr. C. T IMPEALLACHT FEACHTAIS AR LÍNE Bhí ról mór ag an bhfearann ar líne san fheachtas, agus iarrthóirí, páirtithe agus lucht tacaíochta ag baint úsáide as líonraí sóisialta go gníomhach chun teacht ar vótálaithe. 64 Léirigh monatóireacht an OIDCD MMT ar an bhfeachtas ar líne go raibh an rannpháirtíocht is airde ag Connolly Uas le 1,329,706 duine is maith léi agus 291,200 leantóir thar cheithre ardán, i gcomparáid le 238,687 duine is maith le Humphreys agus 52,214 59 I measc cásanna eile de dhioscúrsa maslach a tuairiscíodh don OIDCD MMT, roinn figiúr poiblí amháin a bhaineann le grúpaí leochaileacha trasnacha samplaí iolracha de theachtaireachtaí fuatha ar X a cuireadh in iúl ach nach bhfuair aon fhreagra nó nár tugadh aghaidh orthu agus a measadh a chomhlíon caighdeáin ardáin. 60 Fuarthas amach i dTaighde a rinne an Chomhairle na nInimirceach maidir le toghcháin áitiúla 2024 nach ndearna go leor iarrthóirí a bhí ag tabhairt aghaidh ar chiníochas, ar reitric fhuatha agus ar chiapadh tuairisc ar na teagmhais, agus chreid 47 faoin gcéad acu nach n-athródh sé rud ar bith. Dúirt 59 faoin gcéad díobh siúd a rinne tuairisc nach raibh aon obair leantach déanta ag na póilíní nó nach raibh an obair leantach a rinneadh leordhóthanach. Mar an gcéanna, fuarthas amach in athbhreithniú an CnaM nár thuairiscigh 59 faoin gcéad d’iarrthóirí áitiúla agus 42 faoin gcéad d’iarrthóirí olltoghcháin ábhar maslach nó gránna d’ardáin, agus iad in amhras faoi láimhseáil éifeachtach. 61 Spreagann caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta Stáit chun urlabhra ghríosaitheach a rialáil go comhsheasmhach le hAirteagail 19 agus 20 den ICCPR(2), le Cinneadh Réime 2008/913/CGB ó Chomhairle an AE, agus le hionstraimí Chomhairle na hEorpa amhail Moladh ó Choiste na nAirí R(97)20 agus Moladh Beartais Ghinearálta an ECRI Uimh.15, agus leagann na comhlachtaí conartha faoin CEDAW agus faoin CRPD, chomh maith le Moladh Beartais Ghinearálta an ECRI Uimh. 7, béim ar a thábhachtaí atá sé cosaint a áirithiú ar fhuath atá dírithe ar mhná, ar dhaoine faoi mhíchumas agus ar ghrúpaí eile a mbíonn idirdhealú á dhéanamh orthu. 62 Clúdaíonn an tAcht um Thoirmeasc ar Ghríosú chun Fuatha cine, dath, náisiúntacht, reiligiún, bunús eitneach nó náisiúnta, ballraíocht den Lucht Siúil agus claonadh gnéasach mar shaintréithe cosanta, ach ní áirítear leis forais amhail inscne, míchumas, aois nó stádas sibhialta agus teaghlaigh, a mhol gníomhaithe éagsúla náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta a chur leis. 63 Ina thuarascáil i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2025, d’athdhearbhaigh an Coimisiún Eorpach i gcoinne an Chiníochais agus na hÉadulaingthe (ECRI) a ghlaonna roimhe seo chun reachtaíocht neartaithe fuathchainte a rith “mar thosaíocht” agus thug sé dá aire an easpa sonraí cuimsitheacha maidir le himscrúduithe, ionchúiseamh, ciontuithe, agus pianbhreith. Tá nós imeachta sáraithe os comhair na hÉireann freisin ón gCoimisiún Eorpach as gan Cinneadh Réime 2008 maidir le Ciníochas agus Seineafóibe a thrasuí. I mí Lúnasa, d’athnuaigh an Comhghuaillíocht i gCoinne Coireachta Fuatha a raibh baint ag breis is 20 POS leis na glaonna a rinneadh ar an stát roimhe seo chun cosaintí a neartú i gcoinne “fuathchaint” agus ar chuideachtaí teicneolaíochta chun monatóireacht a dhéanamh, a bhaint agus a chosc ar a scaipeadh ar a n-ardáin. 64 Fuarthas amach i dTuarascáil Nuachta Digiteach na hÉireann 2024 an CnaM gur bhain 59 faoin gcéad de dhaoine fásta úsáid as Facebook, 42 faoin gcéad Instagram, 22 faoin gcéad TikTok, agus 21 faoin gcéad X. De réir taighde CnaM, bhain 95 faoin gcéad d’iarrthóirí sna 2024 toghchán áitiúil agus olltoghcháin úsáid as líonraí sóisialta chun a bhfeachtais a chur chun cinn.

Éire Leathanach: 17 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT leantóir. 65 Bhain na téamaí ba choitianta i bpoist le hionracas, iompar pearsanta agus carachtar na n-iarrthóirí, agus ina dhiaidh sin, bhí an t-ábhar a bhain le héagóracht nó le neamhdhlisteanacht líomhnaithe an phróisis ainmniúcháin i gceist. Bhí poist na n-iarrthóirí níos dearfaí go córasach agus ní raibh siad chomh sáraíochta céanna le poist na bpáirtithe, na bpolaiteoirí agus na n-aisteoirí ar nós an t-asraon meán ar líne The Ditch agus an feachtas Mill an Vóta. Bhí comhghaol láidir idir poist orgánacha diúltacha nó sáraíochta ar X agus rannpháirtíocht níos airde. Murab ionann agus iarrthóirí eile, bhain Connolly úsáid fhairsing as podchraoltaí mar uirlis fheachtais thábhachtach, ag déanamh níos mó ná naoi láithriú. Lean iarrthóirí le straitéisí éagsúla fógraíochta íoctha ar líne. Reáchtáil Connolly feachtais níos spriocdhírithe agus níos éagsúla le caiteachas in aghaidh an fhógra níos lú agus líon iomlán níos airde, agus bhí Gavin agus Humphreys ag brath ar níos lú fógraí agus fógraí nach bhfuil chomh spriocdhírithe. Tháinig na cinntí a rinne Google agus Meta chun stop a chur le fógraí polaitiúla íoctha a sheachadadh san AE mar fhreagairt ar theacht i bhfeidhm an TTPA le cur i bhfeidhm ar feadh tréimhse gearr san fheachtas toghcháin, ag deireadh mhí Mheán Fómhair agus tús mhí Dheireadh Fómhair, faoi seach. Bunaithe ar shonraí OIDCD MMT a bailíodh sula ndeachaigh na toirmisc ar fhógraí íoctha i bhfeidhm, bhí leibhéil chaiteachais iomlána na n-iarrthóirí cosúil go mór lena chéile. 66 Bhreathnaigh roinnt idirghabhálaithe ar na toirmisc mar fhadhb, ag tabhairt faoi deara gur bhain siad iomaitheoirí as bealaí dlíthiúla chun bealaí éifeachtacha for-rochtana digiteacha a bhaint amach agus go bhféadfadh sé gur spreag siad imchéimniú, lena n-áirítear trí thríú páirtithe nó trí fhógraí atá faoi cheilt mar ábhar neamhpholaitiúil, nó cruthú ábhair níos deighiltí arbh fhearr leis na halgartaim ardáin. Ba mhó imní faoi fhaisnéis mhícheart go luath san fheachtas, a bhain le hiarrthóireacht amháin a fógraíodh ach nár saothraíodh go foirmiúil, agus shroich siad buaicphointe go gairid roimh lá an toghcháin le scaipeadh domhainbhrionnuithe a ghintear le IS, ar chuir an Coimisiún Toghcháin agus daoine eile faoi deara iad agus a bhain Meta agus Aibítir amach ina dhiaidh sin; Chuir X síos orthu mar ionramháilte. 67 Áiríodh leis sin físeán a ghin IS ar a dtugtar tuairisc nuachta craoltóra phoiblí a léirigh Catherine Connolly go bréagach ag fógairt go raibh sí ag tarraingt siar as an rás agus an toghchán á chur ar ceal, agus a hiomaitheoir chun glacadh leis an uachtaránacht. Toisc nach bhfuil a chumhachtaí reachtúla maidir le mífhaisnéis/bréagaisnéis i bhfeidhm go fóill, bhí an Coimisiún ag brath ar chreat comhoibrithe deonach le hardáin a bunaíodh in 2024. Rianaigh sé freisin ábhar míthreorach nó bréagach a d’fhéadfadh cur isteach ar shláine toghcháin, go príomha chun cur i gcoinne scéalta den sórt sin go réamhghníomhach trí fhaisnéis fhíorasach a scaipeadh. 68 Mar an DSC, leanann CnaM straitéis mhaoirseachta agus forfheidhmithe rioscabhunaithe maidir le hábhar mídhleathach ar líne faoin DSA agus faoi fhorálacha náisiúnta sábháilteachta ar líne, ag obair I ndlúthchomhar leis an gCoimisiún Eorpach agus le DSCanna eile chun rioscaí sistéamacha a mhaoirsiú. Cé go gcuireann sé ar chumas úsáideoirí gearáin a chomhdú, moltar dóibh ábhar fadhbach a chur in iúl ar na hardáin ar dtús agus teagmháil a dhéanamh leis an CnaM i gcás láimhseáil nó neamhghníomh míshásúil. 69 Gan aon údarás chun leigheasanna fíor-ama nó aonair a sholáthar, chuir gearáin a comhdaíodh le CnaM eolas ar fáil dá mhaoirseacht fhadtéarmach maidir le maolú riosca, amhail an t-athbhreithniú leanúnach ar inrochtaineacht ar shásraí fógra agus gníomhaíochta na n-ardán faoi Airteagal 16 DSA. Níor thuairiscigh CnaM aon fhógraí comhlíonta a eisiúint ná aon imscrúduithe foirmiúla a oscailt in 2024 ná le linn thréimhse feachtais 2025. 65 Chlúdaigh an mhonatóireacht an tréimhse ón 3 Meán Fómhair go dtí an 24 Deireadh Fómhair, rud a thug tacar sonraí de 3,282 tuairim a chlúdaigh 41 cuntas d’iarrthóirí, páirtithe, pearsa phoiblí agus tráchtairí ar fud Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, agus X. Ní raibh aon sonraí ar fáil maidir le leantóirí nó toghanna do Jim Gavin mar gheall ar a chuntais meán sóisialta a scriosadh díreach tar éis dó tarraingt siar. 66 Bunaithe ar shonraí Leabharlann Fógraí Meta don tréimhse ón 3 Meán Fómhair go dtí an 24 Deireadh Fómhair, chaith Gavin 14,289 EUR measta, Connolly 18,950 EUR, agus Humphreys 22,132 EUR. 67 Fuarthas amach i dtuarascáil EDMO na hÉireann i Meán Fómhair 2025 go raibh éilimh bhréagacha faoin uachtaránacht, faoin mBunreacht agus faoi imeachtaí stairiúla ag baint le 58 faoin gcéad de phoist an Uasail Conor McGregor, a d’fhógair ach nár lean iarrthóireacht. 68 Lean an Coimisiún Toghcháin snáitheanna mífhaisnéise eile freisin, cuid acu a mheastar a bheith nasctha le gníomhaíocht bota le cúrsaíocht dhaonna teoranta. I gcomhar leis an gCoimisiún Toghcháin, threoraigh Facebook agus TikTok úsáideoirí a bhí ag cuardach ábhar a bhain le toghcháin chuig acmhainní oifigiúla faisnéise agus litearthachta sna meáin. 69 I gcomhpháirt leis na póilíní, d’fhorbair CnaM pacáiste faisnéise a chuir iarrthóirí ar an eolas i dtoghcháin faoi conas ábhar mídhleathach nó díobhálach a thuairisciú ar líne d’institiúidí agus d’ardáin fhreagracha éagsúla. Roimh an toghchán, reáchtáil CnaM comhchruinniú le hardáin chun straitéisí maolaithe riosca a phlé.

Éire Leathanach: 18 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Sna ceithre seachtaine thart ar an toghchán, chomhoibrigh ardáin agus POSanna a shínigh Cód Cleachtais an AE maidir le Bréagaisnéis trína Chóras Mearfhreagartha. Cuireadh fáilte roimh an sásra seo mar fhormáid úsáideach agus fheidhmiúil le haghaidh malartuithe rialta ar shaincheisteanna, treochtaí agus ábhair imní atá ag teacht chun cinn, agus chun cásanna a bhaineann le faisnéis mhícheart a láimhseáil go tosaíochta. Mar sin féin, chuir go leor ionadaithe ón tsochaí shibhialta agus iomaitheoirí in iúl go raibh amhras orthu faoi éifeachtacht níos leithne ardáin a choinneáil cuntasach trí ábhar a chur in iúl don úsáideoir nó don POS. 70 Bhí an dearcadh coitianta ann nach raibh gníomh bríoch mar thoradh ar fhormhór an ábhair a luadh mar ábhar mídhleathach, díobhálach, míthreorach nó neamhchomhlíontach le caighdeáin na n- ardán féin, rud a chothaigh braistint éirí as agus an dearcadh go raibh comhoibriú ardáin úsáideora sin in aisce den chuid is mó. 71 Sa chomhthéacs sin, tá an sásra uile- AE um réiteach díospóidí neamhspleách lasmuigh den chúirt (ODS) faoin DSA ag éirí níos suntasaí mar bhealach inar féidir le húsáideoirí agus eagraíochtaí dúshlán a thabhairt do chinntí ardáin. D’eisigh Ionad Achomhairc na hEorpa (IAE), arna dheimhniú ag an CnaM i mí Mheán Fómhair 2024, 50 cinneadh a bhain le hÉirinn faoi Lúnasa 2025, go príomha maidir le fionraí nó srianadh cuntas, bulaíocht agus ciapadh, agus caint agus iompar fuatha. 72 IX. MAOINIÚ FEACHTAIS Rialaíonn Acht Toghcháin, 1997 maoiniú feachtais agus polaitiúil araon. Thug leasuithe a glacadh in 2022 nuashonrú ar rialacha maidir le síntiúis pholaitiúla agus feabhsaíodh na cumhachtaí imscrúdaithe agus forfheidhmithe a bhaineann le cuntasacht airgeadais. 73 Tríd is tríd, soláthraíonn an reachtaíocht creat leordhóthanach chun maoiniú feachtais a rialáil agus a mhaoirsiú. Mheas idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT go soláthraíonn an rialachán um maoiniú feachtais leibhéal leordhóthanach trédhearcachta agus cuntasachta. Mar sin féin, leasaíodh Acht Toghcháin, 1997 go minic agus níl sé ar fáil i bhfoirm chomhdhlúite, a chuireann isteach ar shoiléireacht agus inrochtaineacht dhlíthiúil. A. I ONCAM AGUS CAITEACHAS Is féidir feachtais a mhaoiniú ó fhoinsí poiblí agus príobháideacha. Tá iarrthóirí a thoghtar nó a fhaigheann níos mó ná an ceathrú cuid den chuóta (12.5 faoin gcéad) den vóta incháilithe chun speansais feachtais a aisíoc, suas go dtí 250,000 EUR ar a mhéad. 74 Féadfaidh iarrthóirí cumarsáid feachtais amháin a sheoladh 70 Faoi láthair níl aon Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh údaraithe mar ‘chomharthóir iontaofa’ ag an CnaM mar an DSC. 71 Ina réamhthorthaí ar an 25 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 maidir le comhlíonadh ardán leis an DSA le linn an toghcháin seo, thuairiscigh EDMO na hÉireann forfheidhmiú lag, le freagairtí neamhréireacha frithghníomhacha den chuid is mó ar ábhar a bhfuil bratach curtha leis, go minic gan aon ghníomh infheicthe. Ina aighneacht i mí na Bealtaine 2025 chuig an gCoimisiún Eorpach, léirigh INAR imní gur aistríodh an t-ualach modhnóireachta i dtreo POSanna agus d’iarr sé ar POSanna eile tarraingt siar ó shásraí comhoibrithe deonacha ‘comharthóir iontaofa’ le hardáin ar líne, ag lua a neamhéifeachtacht maidir le dul i ngleic le halgartaim ‘molta’ mar éascaitheoir struchtúrach na tocsaineachta atá bunaithe ar rannpháirtíocht. 72 De réir a Thuarascáil Trédhearcachta , d’eisigh IAE cinntí réamhshocraithe i bhfabhar gearáin i bhformhór na gcásanna mar gheall ar easpa freagraí ó na hardáin. I gcás inar chuir na hardáin ábhar ar fáil agus ina ndearnadh athbhreithniú air, sheas IAE le cinntí na n- ardán i níos mó ná 6 as 10 ndíospóid. Níl cinntí comhlachtaí ODS ceangailteach. Bhí Éire sa cheathrú háit ar fud an AE bunaithe ar líon na ndíospóidí incháilithe in aghaidh an duine. 73 Chuir an tAcht um Athchóiriú Toghcháin, 2022 sainmhíniú nua ar criptea-airgeadra chomh maith le toirmeasc ginearálta ar ghlacadh le síntiúis i bhfoirm criptea-airgeadra. Thug sé isteach freisin oibleagáidí cuntasaíochta agus tuairiscithe nua do ghníomhaíochtaí rialta páirtithe polaitíochta, lena n-áirítear ráitis bhliantúla chomhdhlúite cuntas a ullmhú. 74 Méadaíodh an uasteorainn aisíocaíochta ó 200,000 EUR go dtí 250,000 EUR roimh an toghchán seo mar gheall ar an ardú ar an Innéacs Praghsanna do Thomhaltóirí hordú ón Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. Ní cheanglaítear ar iarrthóir a cháilíonn le haghaidh aisíocaíochta aon chuid den aisíocaíocht a chur ar aghaidh chuig aon pháirtí polaitíochta.

Éire Leathanach: 19 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT chuig gach teaghlach tríd an bpost saor in aisce freisin. 75 Féadfaidh páirtithe polaitíochta iarrthóirí a fhormhuiniú trína bhfeachtais a mhaoiniú, ach le cistí príobháideacha amháin. 76 Rialaítear ranníocaíochtaí feachtais phríobháidigh go maith. Tá síntiúis faoi réir teorainneacha reachtúla suntasacha bunaithe ar thionscnamh, cineál, agus méid na gcistí a nglactar leo, agus féadfaidh ranníocaíochtaí airgeadaíochta agus comhchineáil, fáltais tiomsaithe airgid agus iasachtaí a bheith san áireamh. 77 Féadfaidh iarrthóirí glacadh le síntiúis ó shaoránaigh agus ó eintitis dhlíthiúla; tá cosc ar shíntiúis choigríche mura saoránach Éireannach é an deontóir aonair nó mura gcoimeádann an t-eintiteas dlíthiúil oifig fheidhmeach ar oileán na hÉireann. 78 Ceadaítear síntiúis gan ainm suas go dtí 100 EUR, ach cuirtear teorainn 200 EUR in aghaidh na bliana féilire ar shíntiúis airgid thirim agus ar shíntiúis ó dheontóirí corparáideacha neamhchláraithe. 79 Tá cosc ar shíntiúis criptea-airgeadra. Féadfaidh iarrthóirí iasachtaí a fháil ó institiúidí airgeadais, ó eintitis eile, nó ó dhaoine aonair faoi choinníollacha caighdeánacha an mhargaidh. 80 Is é 1,000 EUR in aghaidh na bliana féilire an síntiús uasta ó dheontóir aonair. 81 Níl aon uasteorainn chomhiomlán ar ranníocaíochtaí iomlána an fheachtais, ná aon teorainn ar ranníocaíochtaí pearsanta na n-iarrthóirí dá bhfeachtas féin. Chuir roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT síos ar na huasteorainneacha mar uasteorainneacha íseal ach réasúnta agus thug siad faoi deara go bhfuil líon suntasach síntiús gan ainm fós gan chuntas. 82 Féadfaidh tríú páirtithe dul i mbun gníomhaíochtaí feachtais trí iarrthóirí a chur chun cinn nó cur ina gcoinne i dtoghchán na huachtaránachta agus féadfaidh siad glacadh le síntiúis faoin gcreat rialála céanna a bhaineann le hiarrthóirí uachtaránachta, ach amháin go bhfuil teorainn na síntiús socraithe ag 75 Clúdaítear costais postais ón maoiniú stáit; meastar, áfach, gur costas toghcháin é an costas a bhaineann le hábhair feachtais a tháirgeadh – bileoga mar shampla - agus ní mór don iarrthóir é a íoc. 76 Tá maoiniú stáit páirtithe polaitíochta beartaithe do ghníomhaíochtaí sonracha neamhthoghcháin amháin, amhail stiúradh agus bainistiú ginearálta gnóthaí an pháirtí agus saothrú dleathach cuspóirí an pháirtí. De réir thuarascáil an SIPO um Mhaoiniú Státchiste na bPáirtithe Polaitíochta in 2023 & 2024, fuair gach páirtí polaitíochta cáilithe tuairim is 6.5 milliún EUR in 2024, agus ba iad Fianna Fáil (1.6 milliún EUR) agus Fine Gael (1.5 milliún EUR) na tairbhithe is mó. Chun a mheas mar “ pháirtí polaitíochta cáilithe”, ní mór páirtí a bheith cláraithe agus ní mór go bhfuair a iarrthóirí 2 faoin gcéad ar a laghad de na vótaí céadrogha iomlána a caitheadh ar gach iarrthóir sa toghchán Dála is deanaí. Cuirtear maoiniú poiblí ar fáil freisin tríd an Liúntas Gníomhaíochtaí Parlaiminte (LGP) do cheannairí parlaiminte páirtithe polaitíochta agus, ar leithligh, do chomhaltaí neamhspleácha na parlaiminte, mar atá leagtha amach in Acht an Oireachtas 2014 . 77 Sainmhínítear síntiús comhchineáil mar aon síntiús maoine nó earraí a bhfuil sé de cheart acu iad a úsáid saor in aisce, nó an difríocht idir an gnáthphraghas tráchtála agus an praghas iarbhír a íoctar. Breathnaítear ar mhaoin, earraí nó seirbhísí a chuirtear ar fáil saor in aisce nó faoi bhunphraghas an chostais le linn na tréimhse toghcháin mar shíntiúis chomhchineáil. Ní mór síntiúis den sórt sin a dhearbhú agus a luacháil ar an ngnáthphraghas tráchtála chun an mhaoin nó na hearraí a cheannach, a úsáid nó a fháil, nó chun an tseirbhís a dheonaítear a sholáthar. Féadfaidh iasacht a sholáthraíonn tríú páirtí nó institiúid airgeadais a bheith san áireamh leis seo freisin ar théarmaí atá níos fabhraí ná iad siúd atá ar fáil i ngnáthchúrsa gnó. 78 Baineann na rialacha céanna le páirtithe polaitíochta, comhpháirtíochtaí, nó grúpaí brústocaireachta. 79 Meastar síntiús a bheith gan ainm mura bhfuil ainm agus seoladh deontóra ar eolas. Má fhaightear síntiús toirmiscthe, ní mór d’iarrthóir fógra a thabhairt do SIPO laistigh de 14 lá agus an síntiús a sheoladh chuige. Féadfaidh deontóirí corparáideacha, lena n-áirítear páirtithe polaitíochta seachas páirtithe an iarrthóra féin, ranníocaíocht níos mó ná 200 EUR a dhéanamh má tá siad cláraithe i gClárlann na nDeontóirí Corparáideacha agus má tá formheas foirmiúil faighte acu. Ní mór aon síntiús airgid nó síntiús ó dheontóir corparáideach neamhchláraithe a sháraíonn 200 EUR, a thabhairt ar ais don deontóir nó an síntiús nó an chuid a sháraíonn an teorainn leis an SIPO a tharchur. 80 Má tá na coinníollacha maoinithe le haghaidh iasachtaí níos tairbhí ná coinníollacha caighdeánacha an mhargaidh, féadfar an sochar don iarrthóir a mheas mar shíntiús faoi réir teorainneacha i dtéarmaí nochta agus uasteorainneacha. 81 Ní mór síntiúis iolracha a thugann an deontóir céanna d’iarrthóir i mbliain ar leith a chomhiomlánú chun a chinntiú go gcomhlíontar an teorainn. Baineann an teorainn freisin le síntiúis airgeadaíochta ó pháirtí polaitiúil an iarrthóra féin. 82 Chuir gníomhaire Connolly Uas in iúl don OIDCD MMT go ndéantar gach síntiús, lena n- áirítear síntiúis gan ainm faoi 100 EUR dá feachtas, a thaifeadadh cé nach oibleagáid é de réir na rialachán.

Éire Leathanach: 20 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT 2,500 EUR in aghaidh an deontóra in aghaidh na bliana féilire. 83 Níl aon uasteorainn chomhiomlán ar ioncam feachtais do thríú páirtithe. Tríd is tríd, soláthraíonn na srianta ar ranníocaíochtaí feachtais, lena n- áirítear na teorainneacha síntiús ísle in aghaidh an deontóra, cosaintí leordhóthanacha. Cé go bhfuil easpa uasteorainneacha comhiomlána ar shíntiúis gan ainm contrártha ag teacht salach ar dhea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta, tá sé seo frithchothromaithe beagán leis an gceanglas nach mór síntiúis os cionn 100 EUR a thabhairt trí aistriú bainc agus faoi theorainn 200 EUR ar shíntiúis airgid thirim. 84 Socraítear an teorainn chaiteachais d’iarrthóirí ag 750,000 EUR. 85 Cé nach bhfuil cosc ar úsáid maoine, seirbhísí, nó áiseanna a mhaoinítear go poiblí chun críocha toghcháin, ní mór cuntas a thabhairt ar aon chostais ghaolmhara mar chostas toghcháin agus ní mór iad a aisíoc leis an soláthraí cuí. 86 Déantar costais toghcháin arna dtabhú ag páirtithe polaitíochta agus tríú páirtithe atá i mbun feachtais thar ceann iarrthóra a chomhaireamh i dtreo theorainn caiteachais an iarrthóra. 87 Mar sin féin, níl aon teorainn caiteachais ann do thríú páirtithe a théann i mbun feachtais go neamhspleách. Luaigh roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT éagsúla tríú páirtithe a bhféadfadh a ngníomhaíochtaí a bheith bainteach le feachtas. 88 Ní mór do gach iarrthóir gníomhaire toghcháin a cheapadh chun caiteachas feachtais a bhainistiú agus cuntas a thabhairt ina leith. 89 Soláthraíonn an dlí liosta mionsonraithe de cad is speansais toghcháin ann a tabhaíodh le linn na tréimhse toghcháin sonraithe. 90 Cé go sainmhínítear speansais toghcháin go ginearálta trí thagairt a dhéanamh don “tréimhse toghcháin” fhoirmiúil, déantar caiteachais áirithe a thabhaítear nó a bheartaítear lasmuigh den fhuinneog seo a eisiamh d’aon ghnó ó theorainneacha 83 Sainmhínítear tríú páirtí mar aon duine aonair nó grúpa seachas páirtí polaitíochta cláraithe nó iarrthóir a ghlacann, i mbliain féilire ar leith, le síntiús chun críocha polaitíochta os cionn 100 EUR. I gcás ina bhfaigheann tríú páirtí síntiús den sórt sin agus sula dtabhóidh sé aon chaiteachais chun críocha polaitíochta, ní mór dó fógra a thabhairt do SIPO faoina dhintiúir, ainm an duine atá freagrach, méid measta na síntiús agus an caiteachas beartaithe don bhliain, agus aon bhaint le hiarrthóir i dtoghchán a chur in iúl. Ní mór do thríú páirtithe nach bhfuil baint acu le hiarrthóir fógra a thabhairt do SIPO fós go bhfuil sé ar intinn acu caiteachais toghcháin a thabhú. 84 Foráiltear le halt 212 Threoirlínte Comhpháirteacha OIDCD 2020agus Choimisiún na Veinéise maidir le Rialachán Páirtí Polaitiúil (treoirlínte Comhpháirteacha i ndail le Rialachán Páirtí Polaitiúil) gur cheart “síntiús gan ainm a rialáil go docht, lena n- áirítear trí theorainn a chur le méid comhiomlán incheadaithe na síntiús gan ainm go léir. (...) Bealach eile chun tionchar míchuí ó fhoinsí anaithnide a sheachaint is ea a rá sa reachtaíocht ábhartha go dtabharfar síntiúis os cionn méid áirithe (íseal) trí aistriú bainc, seic bainc nó cárta creidmheasa bainc, chun a n-inrianaitheacht a áirithiú i dtéarmaí méid agus foinsí.” 85 Fanann an teorainn caiteachais mar a bhí i dtoghchán uachtaránachta 2018. Thug idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT le fios nach raibh gá le hathrú, toisc nár sháraigh na speansais toghcháin is airde a taifeadadh i dtoghchán 2018 an tsuim 400,000 EUR. 86 D’fhoghlaim an OIDCD MMT go gcoimeádann institiúidí áirithe, amhail an pharlaimint, liosta praghsanna chun na críche sin. 87 Teastaíonn réamhfhógra chuig SIPO sula dtabhaíonn tríú páirtí aon chaiteachais toghcháin, má tá sé i gceist aige dul i mbun feachtais. 88 I measc na gcinn a tugadh le fios bhí an feachtas Mill an Vóta a d’iarr ar vótálaithe a vótaí a mhilleadh ar lá an toghcháin agus ar an Institiúid na Beatha a líomhnaítear a bhí nasctha leis an gcéad cheann acu. Chuir an t-údarás maoirseachta in iúl don OIDCD MMT go raibh iarratas críochnaithe ag Mill an Vóta leis an SIPO mar “Dhuine Eile” don toghchán uachtaránachta, agus go ndearna SIPO teagmháil le hInstitiúid na Beatha ina leith seo. Tá sainmhínithe ar “tríú páirtí” agus “duine eile” ag forluí, áfach, úsáidtear an sainmhíniú deireanach sin sa chomhthéacs nuair nach bhfuil baint ag daoine den sórt sin le hiarrthóir nó le páirtí polaitíochta. 89 Féadfaidh iarrthóirí gníomhú mar ghníomhairí dá gcuid féin. Ba cheart an gníomhaire a cheapadh sula dtabhaítear aon speansais toghcháin. 90 Áirítear ar mhíreanna atá eisiata ón sainmhíniú ar speansais toghcháin tá mionchostais arna dtabhú ag oibrithe feachtais íoctha, nach mó ná 126.97 EUR, ar choinníoll go gcumhdaítear iad sin óna n- acmhainní agus nach n-aisíocann an gníomhaire toghcháin iad; úsáid oifige atá faoi úinéireacht páirtí polaitíochta agus a chuirtear ar fáil d’iarrthóir le linn an toghcháin, etc.

Éire Leathanach: 21 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT cuntasaíochta agus caiteachais, contrártha le dea- chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. 91 Thug roinnt idirghabhálaithe ODIHR EAM le fios go dtabhaíonn páirtithe polaitíochta speansais shuntasacha, a bhfuil sé ar intinn acu iarrthóir a ainmniú, roimh thús oifigiúil thréimhse oifigiúil an toghcháin agus go dtugtar cuntas ar speansais den sórt sin i dtuairisceáin bhliantúla an pháirtí pholaitiúil de ghnáth. D’fhéadfadh rialáil agus léirmhíniú scaoilte ar chaiteachas réamhthoghcháin an cuntasacht a lagú agus an bonn a bhaint d’fhorfheidhmiú éifeachtach teorainneacha caiteachais agus trédhearcacht fhoriomlán. 92 D’fhonn cuntasacht chuí, soiléireacht agus forfheidhmiú cuí teorainneacha caiteachais a chinntiú, ba cheart rialacháin lena rialaítear caiteachas feachtas réamhthoghcháin a athbhreithniú agus a shoiléiriú chun gach costas a bhaineann le toghcháin a chumhdach. B. N OCHTADH AGUS MAOIRSEACHT Ceanglaítear ar iarrthóirí a fhaigheann síntiúis airgeadaíochta os cionn 100 EUR i mbliain féilire cuntas tiomnaithe um shíntiúis pholaitiúla a oscailt agus a chothabháil. 93 Níl an cuntas seo poiblí agus féadfar é a nochtadh le hordú cúirte nó le linn imscrúdaithe ag SIPO. Ceanglaítear ar iarrthóirí aon síntiús aonair is mó ná 600 EUR nó na síntiúis chomhiomlánaithe ón deontóir céanna a sháraíonn an méid sin a nochtadh. Cé go bhfuil sasraí iar-toghcháin um nochtadh airgeadais i bhfeidhm, níl aon cheanglas ann maidir le tuairisciú airgeadais feachtais eatramhach roimh lá an toghcháin. Cuireann easpa tuairiscithe eatramhach teorainn le rochtain vótálaithe ar fhaisnéis oifigiúil maidir le hioncam agus caiteachas feachtais, rud atá ag teacht salach ar an dea- chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. 94 D’fhonn trédhearcacht a fheabhsú, ba cheart féachaint ar cheanglais eatramhacha maidir le tuairisciú airgeadais feachtais a thabhairt isteach chun a áirithiú go mbeidh rochtain ag vótálaithe ar fhaisnéis thráthúil chuimsitheach roimh lá an toghcháin. Ní mór do gach iarrthóir tuarascáil airgeadais feachtais a chur faoi bhráid SIPO laistigh de 56 lá tar éis an toghcháin, lena n-áirítear ráitis maidir le síntiúis agus costais. 95 Faomhann an t-údarás maoirseachta na foirmeacha tuairiscithe páipéarbhunaithe agus seoltar chuig iarrthóirí iad; comhlánaítear go leor acu 91 Bhí an tréimhse toghcháin ar siúl ón 3 Meán Fómhair go dtí an 24 Deireadh Fómhair, agus an tréimhse sin san áireamh. I measc na gcostas lasmuigh den tréimhse toghcháin nach gá cuntas a thabhairt orthu tá: ábhar bolscaireachta arna scaipeadh ag iarrthóirí nó ag páirtithe polaitiúla roimh an 3 Meán Fómhair; costais chíosa d’áitribh feachtais a tabhaíodh roimh an 3 Meán Fómhair; fógraí ‘buíochais’ a scaipeadh tar éis an toghcháin; póstaeir a bhaint. Sonraítear in alt 262 de na Treoirlínte Comhpháirteacha maidir le Rialachán Páirtí Polaitiúil go bhféadfaidh “(a) páirtí iarracht a dhéanamh rialacháin maidir le maoiniú feachtais a sheachaint trí ghníomhaíochtaí a sheoladh le linn tréimhse “réamhthoghcháin” nó trí úsáid a bhaint as eintitis nó daoine eile mar bhealaí le haghaidh cistí nó seirbhísí. Chun an mhí-úsáid seo a theorannú, ní mór córais láidre tuairiscithe airgeadais ag páirtithe polaitíochta lasmuigh de thoghcháin a achtú. Ba cheart rialacha agus treoirlínte soiléire a chur ar fáil sa reachtaíocht maidir leis na gníomhaíochtaí nach gceadaítear le linn an fheachtais réamhthoghcháin, agus cad é an t-ioncam agus an caiteachas le haghaidh gníomhaíochtaí den sórt sin le linn na tréimhse seo ar cheart breathnú orthu mar acmhainní feachtais faoi réir athbhreithniú agus smachtbhanna cuí.” 92 In Airteagal 10 de Mholadh ó Choiste (2003)4Airí Chomhairle na hEorpa maidir le comhrialachai gcoinne an éillithe i maoiniú páirtithe polaitíochta agus feachtais toghcháin “B -éileodh Stáit taifid ar leith a choinneáil ar gach caiteachas, díreach agus indíreach, ar fheachtais toghcháin i leith gach páirtí polaitíochta, gach liosta iarrthóirí agus gach iarrthóra.” 93 Ní mór an cuntas a oscailt in institiúid airgeadais sa Stát. Ceanglaítear ar an iarrthóir aon síntiúis airgeadaíochta ina dhiaidh sin, beag beann ar a luach, a thaisceadh sa chuntas sin. Ní mór ráiteas bainc ina sonraítear gach idirbheart cuntais a rinneadh ón dáta oscailte go dtí an lá vótaíochta a chur faoi bhráid thuarascáil airgeadais iar-toghcháin SIPO. 94 Foráiltear le hAirteagal 7.3 den UNCAC go nglacfaidh stáit bearta “chun trédhearcacht a fheabhsú maidir le hiarrthóirí a mhaoiniú d’oifig phoiblí thofa”. Cuid I. Molann 2.3d de Chód Dea-Chleachtais i gCúrsaí Toghcháin (Cód Dea-Chleachtais) Choimisiún na Veinéise de chuid Chomhairle na hEorpa (2002): “Ní mór do mhaoiniú páirtithe polaitíochta, iarrthóirí agus feachtais toghcháin a bheith trédhearcach.” Sonraítear in alt 261 de na Treoirlínte Comhpháirteacha maidir le Rialáil Páirtí Polaitiúil “gur dea-chleachtas é na tuarascálacha seo a leanas a éileamh: [...]Tuarascálacha a sholáthraíonn réamhfhaisnéis do chomhlachtaí maoirseachta agus don phobal maidir le hioncam agus costais feachtais na bpáirtithe agus na n-iarrthóirí roinnt laethanta roimh lá an toghcháin”. Féach ar alt 247 freisin. 95 Ní mór dearbhú reachtúil ón ngníomhaire toghcháin a bheith ag gabháil leis na ráitis seo, ag dearbhú a gcruinneas agus a gceart. Ní mór an ráiteas ar speansais toghcháin a chur isteach mar aon le sonraisc, admhálacha agus dearbháin le haghaidh gach íocaíochta is mó ná 126.97 EUR. Tá sé de cheart ag SIPO freisin doiciméid tacaíochta a iarraidh le haghaidh aon mhír chaiteachais faoi 126.97 EUR, dá ngairtear ‘ mionchostais’.

Éire Leathanach: 22 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT de láimh agus cuirtear isteach iad sa phost. 96 Foilsítear gach tuarascáil, beag beann ar cháilíocht an chríochnaithe, mar dhoiciméid scanta i bhformáidí meaisín-neamh-inléite, rud a chuireann srian le hinchomparáideacht sonraí agus nach dtagann faoi dhea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. 97 Thacaigh go leor idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT go láidir leis an ngá atá le tuairisciú airgeadais a dhigitiú. D’fhonn cuimsitheacht, inchomparáideacht agus trédhearcacht na tuairiscithe ar mhaoiniú feachtas a fheabhsú, d’fhéadfaí breithniú a dhéanamh ar thuairisciú ar líne a thabhairt isteach. De réir an dlí, tá tríú páirtithe neamhspleácha a thabhaíonn speansais toghcháin faoi réir cloí leis an spriocdháta tuairiscithe iartoghcháin céanna agus ní mór dóibh ráiteas a chur isteach ina sonraítear na speansais sin go léir. Ceanglaítear ar gach tríú páirtí ráiteas bainc a chur isteach maidir lena gcuntas síntiúis ina sonraítear gach idirbheart faoin 31 Márta gach bliain. 98 Níl aon cheanglas ann na tuarascálacha sin a phoibliú, rud a bhaineann an bonn den trédhearcacht iomlán. 99 D’fhonn trédhearcacht agus cuntasacht a neartú, ba cheart go gceanglófaí leis an reachtaíocht go gcuirfí nochtadh maoinithe tríú páirtí ar fáil go poiblí ar líne ar bhealach tráthúil agus inrochtana. Déanann SIPO maoirseacht ar airgeadas feachtais agus tá cumhachtaí imscrúdaithe agus comhairliúcháin fairsinge aige, lena n-áirítear an t-údarás chun treoirlínte atá ceangailteach ó thaobh dlí a eisiúint d’iarrthóirí, do thríú páirtithe agus do pháirtithe leasmhara eile. 100 Déanann sé athbhreithniú ar thuarascálacha airgeadais an fheachtais agus scrúdaíonn sé ráitis maidir le síntiús agus caiteachais toghcháin agus doiciméid tacaíochta, agus ceadaíonn sé ceartúcháin i gcásanna mionearráidí nó easnaimh. 101 Ní shonraítear sa dlí aon spriocdhátaí maidir le na tuarascálacha seo a athbhreithniú nó a fhoilsiú, ná ní theastaíonn iniúchadh neamhspleách orthu. 102 Thug roinnt idirghabhálaithe ODIHR EAM faoi deara go ndíríonn an mhaoirseacht go príomha ar mhionsháruithe, rud a fhágann go raibh iarratais ó SIPO chun na tuarascálacha a leasú seachas imscrúduithe ar neamhrialtachtaí tromchúiseacha, rud a chuir siad i leith easpa acmhainní. Beag beann ar na socruithe institiúideacha maidir le maoirseacht ar mhaoiniú feachtais, ba cheart acmhainní leordhóthanacha airgeadais, teicniúla agus daonna a sholáthar don údarás inniúil chun maoirseacht éifeachtach, chuimsitheach agus thráthúil ar gach gné de mhaoiniú feachtais a áirithiú. Forálann an dlí do raon smachtbhannaí de réir a chéile i gcás cionta airgeadais, lena n- áirítear fíneálacha airgeadaíochta agus príosúnacht ar feadh suas le trí bliana. Féadfaidh SIPO fógra íocaíochta seasta 200 EUR agus fíneálacha suas le 2,500 EUR a chur i bhfeidhm go díreach ar iarrthóirí, gníomhairí toghcháin agus tríú páirtithe, go hiondúil mar gheall ar mhainneachtain tuarascálacha airgeadais a chur isteach faoin 96 Thuairiscigh idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT go gcailltear na tuarascálacha seo, in amanna, nuair a sheoltar iad mar chruachóipeanna sa phost. 97 Sonraítear in alt 258 de na Treoirlínte Comhpháirteacha maidir le Rialachán Páirtí Polaitiúil gur féidir le “Faisnéis a dhigitiú agus a chur faoi bhráid an chomhlachta rialála ina fhoirm dhigiteach, inchuardaithe agus in-athúsáidte maoirseacht a éascú, agus dá bhrí sin, an gá atá le nósanna imeachta páipéarbhunaithe a íoslaghdú.” Féach ar Alt 259 freisin. 98 Tá tríú páirtí díolmhaithe ón gceanglas seo mura bhfuil síntiús faighte aige chun críocha polaitíochta an bhliain roimhe sin agus/nó mura bhfuil aon airgead tarraingthe aige óna chuntas síntiús polaitiúil i rith na bliana sin. 99 Foráiltear le hAirteagal 6 de Mholadh ó Choiste (2003)4Airí Chomhairle na hEorpa maidir le comhrialacha i gcoinne an éillithe i maoiniú páirtithe polaitíochta agus feachtais toghcháin, “gur cheart go mbeadh feidhm ag na rialacha a bhaineann le síntiúis do pháirtithe polaitíochta [...] freisin, de réir mar is cuí, maidir le gach eintiteas a bhfuil baint dhíreach nó indíreach aige le páirtí polaitíochta nó atá faoi rialú páirtí polaitíochta ar bhealach eile.” Sonraítear in alt 256 de na Treoirlínte Comhpháirteacha maidir le Rialachán Páirtí Polaitiúil “[...] gur cheart oibleagáidí agus srianta atá inchomparáide leo siúd a bhaineann le páirtithe agus le hiarrthóirí páirtí a leathnú chuig tríú páirtithe a bhfuil baint acu leis an bhfeachtas, chun trédhearcacht agus cuntasacht a chinntiú.” 100 Tá an SIPO comhdhéanta de sé chomhalta: cathaoirleach (nach mór a bheith ina bhreitheamh nó ina iar-bhreitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach nó den Ard- Chúirt), ceathrar comhaltaí de bhrí oifige (an tOmbudsman, Cléireach Theach na nIonadaithe, Cléireach an tSeanaid agus an tArd- Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste), agus gnáthchomhalta amháin arna cheapadh ag an Rialtas. Ní cheaptar ach an Cathaoirleach agus an gnáthchomhalta ar feadh téarma sé bliana agus féadfar iad a athcheapadh. 101 Má shainaithníonn SIPO mionearráid nó easnamh i ráiteas, tabharfaidh sé fógra don duine a chuir isteach é agus ceadóidh sé 14 lá ó dháta an fhógra chun an ceartúchán a dhéanamh. 102 De réir SIPO, d’fhéadfadh go dtógfadh sé suas le sé mhí athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar na tuarascálacha; mar sin féin, tá sé mar aidhm acu na tuarascálacha a uaslódáil chuig a suíomh gréasáin a luaithe a fhaightear iad. Ní mór na tuarascálacha a chur faoi bhráid na parlaiminte i gcomhthráth.

Éire Leathanach: 23 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT spriocdháta. 103 Tarchuirtear cionta níos tromchúisí, amhail tuairisciú atá bréagach nó míthreorach a chur isteach go feasach, go háirithe cionta a bhféadfaí pionós príosúnachta a ghearradh ina leith, chuig an Stiúrthóir Ionchúiseamh Poiblí. Trí fhíneálacha riaracháin de réir a chéile agus smachtbhannaí coiriúla a chomhcheangal, cuirtear bac leordhóthanach ar sháruithe airgeadais. Mar sin féin, níor bhreathnaigh OIDCD MMT ar aon chásanna dá n-iarratas, toisc nár comhdaíodh aon ghearáin agus níor tionscnaíodh aon imscrúduithe maidir le maoiniú feachtais le linn an toghcháin uachtaránachta. 104 X. NA MEÁIN A. T IMPEALLACHT NA MEÁN Tá tírdhreach meán na hÉireann éagsúil, ach tá dúshláin mhéadaitheacha le sárú ag a iolrachas mar gheall ar an méadú atá ag teacht ar úinéireacht na meán, rud a théann i bhfeidhm go háirithe ar earnálacha raidió agus meán réigiúnach. 105 Leis an reachtaíocht reatha, ní leagtar síos aon uasteorainn chainníochtúil ar an sciar foriomlán den mhargadh a fhéadfaidh úinéir aonair a rialú, agus ní áirítear léi cosaintí chun neamhspleáchas eagarthóireachta a chosaint. 106 Tá eolas faoi úinéireacht na meán ar fáil saor in aisce i mbunachair shonraí a fhaigheann tacaíocht ó rialtóir na meán, Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM). D’fhonn iolrachas na meán a chosaint, d’fhéadfadh reachtóirí smaoineamh ar uasteorainneacha a thabhairt isteach d’úinéireacht na meán nó ar chosaintí malartacha in aghaidh comhchruinnithe úinéireachta. Go dearfach, tá muinín i nuacht in Éirinn níos airde ná an meán don Aontas Eorpach (51 faoin gcéad seachas 39 faoin gcéad). 107 Tá an ráta úsáide idirlín ard, ag 97 faoin gcéad. Is iad na meáin ar líne, lena n-áirítear ardáin líonraithe sóisialta, an phríomhfhoinse faisnéise polaitiúla, agus an teilifís ina dhiaidh sin. Tá ról suntasach fós ag nuachtáin raidió agus áitiúla, go háirithe lasmuigh den phríomhchathair. Leanann mórbhileoga na hÉireann ag feidhmiú go réasúnta maith, lena n- áirítear síntiúis dhigiteacha a mhealladh. Ag an am céanna, déantar nuachtáin áitiúla a chomhdhlúthú níos mó i ngrúpaí meán náisiúnta, agus feidhmíonn a láithreáin ghréasáin mar bhealaí tánaisteacha le haghaidh nuacht náisiúnta an asraon céanna. Mar fhreagra ar ioncam fógraíochta atá ag laghdú a théann i bhfeidhm ar inbhuanaitheacht na meán, sheol an stát maoiniú spriocdhírithe chun iriseoireacht leas an phobail a neartú. 108 Tá na tionscnaimh sin le comhdhlúthú i gciste tacaíochta meán níos leithne, atá neodrach ó thaobh ardáin de amach anseo. Trí eagraíocht atá i gceannas ar chraoltóireacht teilifíse. Is iad Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) agus Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4) na craoltóirí seirbhíse poiblí (CSP), a chuireann cláir Ghaeilge ar fáil. Braitheann TG4 ar RTÉ dá sheirbhís nuachta agus ní rialaíonn sé a aschur eagarthóireachta féin. 109 Chomh maith leis an gcraoltóir tráchtála náisiúnta Virgin Media Television, tá rochtain ag lucht féachana ar raon leathan cainéal teilifíse atá bunaithe sa RA freisin. 103 Mhínigh SIPO don OIDCD MMT, mura n- íoctar fógra íocaíochta seasta, go bhféadfaidh sé imeachtaí achoimre a thionscnamh i gcoinne an chiontóra a mbeidh smachtbhannaí níos airde mar thoradh air. 104 Chuir SIPO in iúl don ODIHR EAM gur bhain an t-aon chás amháin le fógra ó pháirtí polaitíochta maidir leis an bhfeachtas Mill an Vóta, agus go raibh na himeachtaí ar siúl. 105 Deirtear in alt 3.4 de Mholadh CM(2018)1 ó Choiste Airí Chomhairle na hEorpa chuig na Ballstáit maidir le hiolrachas na meán agus trédhearcacht úinéireachta sna meáin “gur féidir srianta ar úinéireacht chothrománach, ingearach agus trasmheáin a áireamh i rialachán úinéireachta, lena n- áirítear trí thairseacha a chinneadh ”. 106 Is é an t-aon srian atá ann ná líon na gceadúnas is féidir le duine a bheith ina úinéir san earnáil raidió, atá socraithe ag 25 faoin gcéad de na teidil. Tá an teorainn seo bainte amach ag Bauer Media Audio Ireland. Seachas a stáisiúin féin, soláthraíonn comhfhreagraí raidió “Newstalk” Bauer tuairisciú polaitiúil do 29 stáisiún raidió réigiúnacha ar fud na tíre. 107 Faightear an fhaisnéis staitistiúil ó “Tuairisc Nuachta Digiteacha na hÉireann, 2025”. 108 In 2025, bhronn an Stát 5.7 EUR milliún in iomaíocht oscailte do scéimeanna tuairiscithe daonlathais agus cúirte áitiúla. Bhí na cistí ceaptha níos mó ná 100 ról iriseoireachta a chruthú nó a chothabháil. Tá scéimeanna maoinithe nua, a bhfuiltear ag súil leo in 2026, dírithe ar chlaochlú digiteach agus saincheisteanna eile. 109 Tá dhá phríomhbhealach teilifíse ag RTÉ agus go leor cinn speisialaithe, Radio 1, 2FM , stáisiún raidió Gaeilge Raidio na Gaeltachta, stáisiún ceoil clasaiceach Lyric FM , tairseach ar líne www.rte.ie, agus roinnt aipeanna le haghaidh dáileadh ábhair.

Éire Leathanach: 24 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Tá RTÉ maoinithe ag táille an cheadúnais teilifíse agus ag gníomhaíochtaí tráchtála. De bharr athruithe ar nósanna tomhaltais na meán agus conspóidí maidir le cuntasacht airgeadais RTÉ is minic a bhíonn ioncam an chraoltóra níos ísle ná an t-ioncam réamh-mheasta. 110 Theip ar rialtais i ndiaidh a chéile meicníocht maoinithe inbhuanaithe a bhunú, rud a d’eascair géarchéimeanna maoinithe tréimhsiúla agus roinnt babhtaí iomarcaíochta. Le déanaí, chuir an rialtas maoiniú díreach trí bliana ar fáil don stát chun an bhearna a líonadh agus tá athchóiriú á ullmhú aige ar mhaoiniú craolacháin na seirbhíse poiblí, atá dírithe ar mhaoiniú ilbhliantúil a thabhairt isteach agus ról níos mó a thabhairt do rialtóir na meán maidir le buiséad an chraoltóra a mholadh. Mar sin féin, mura bhfuil an leibhéal maoinithe leasaithe ceangailte le critéir oibiachtúla (amhail fás OTI nó boilsciú) agus mura neartaítear na meicníochtaí bliantúla bailithe táillí ceadúnais, leanfaidh RTÉ ag brath ar chinntí polaitiúla. Ba cheart do na húdaráis sásra maoinithe a bhunú do na meáin seirbhíse poiblí lena soláthraítear maoiniú ilbhliantúil leordhóthanach agus intuartha a bhaintear go leordhóthanach ón rialtas agus lena gcosnaítear neamhspleáchas eagarthóireachta na gcraoltóirí seirbhíse poiblí. Glactar go dáiríre le bagairtí i gcoinne iriseoirí, ar líne agus as líne araon, agus déantar iad a ionchúiseamh. Thuairiscigh iriseoirí bagairtí méadaithe le linn léirsithe agus ar líne chomh maith. Tagann an Grúpa Rannpháirtíochta Meán, atá comhdhéanta d’ionadaithe ó thionscal na meán agus ó na póilíní, le chéile go rialta chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar ábhair imní sábháilteachta, agus soláthraíonn sé pointe fócasach chun bagairtí atá ag teacht chun cinn do ghairmithe na meán a threorú. B. A N CREAT DLÍTHIÚIL Éilíonn an Bunreacht ar an stát saoirse cainte agus an phreasa a ráthú. Rialaítear rochtain ar fhaisnéis faoin Acht um Shaoráil Faisnéise (FOIA), ach léirigh roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT go raibh sé as dáta agus mí-oiriúnach do thimpeallacht na meán digiteach. Cuireadh in iúl go raibh díolúine an Áras (oifig an Uachtaráin) ón FOIA ina fhadhb agus nach raibh sé ag teacht le trédhearcacht agus cuntasacht. 111 D’fhonn cuntasacht a neartú, d’fhéadfadh na húdaráis breithniú a dhéanamh ar reachtaíocht um shaoráil faisnéise a leathnú chun gach comhlacht poiblí a chlúdach. Tráth scríofa na tuarascála seo, bhí roinnt tograí reachtacha á bhforbairt, lena n-áirítear maidir le comhchruinniú an mhargaidh, trédhearcacht na fógraíochta stáit, agus rialachas na meán seirbhíse poiblí. Tá athchóiriú an réimis chlúmhillte fós á bhreithniú sa Seanad. Aithnítear go forleathan go bhfuil fadhbanna ag baint leis an gcóras reatha toisc nach soláthraíonn sé aon chosaintí i gcoinne dlíthíochta maslach agus nach leagann sé síos aon teorainneacha nó critéir reachtúla maidir le damáistí a bhronntar ar ghiúiré. Coinníonn eagraíochtaí meán dlíodóirí go rialta chun cásanna clúmhillte féideartha ina gcoinne a scrúdú agus na costais a mheas sula gcomhdaítear cásanna den sórt sin. Nuair a chuirtear le chéile iad, d’fhéadfadh na tosca sin a bheith ina mbagairt ar inmharthanacht airgeadais, agus fiú ar inmharthanacht, eagraíochtaí meán. Mar thoradh air sin, téann na meáin i muinín socraíochtaí réamhchúraim lasmuigh den chúirt agus uaireanta ní bhíonn siad in ann tuairisciú iomlán a dhéanamh ar ábhair áirithe, ar cuireadh sampla de sin faoi bhráid OIDCD MMT le linn an fheachtais toghcháin seo. Tugann an dréachtbhille um Chlúmhilleadh (Leasú) isteach roinnt cosaintí a chuireann in aghaidh cásanna dlí straitéiseacha i gcoinne rannpháirtíocht an phobail (SLAPPanna), agus foráiltear go gcuirfear deireadh le giúiréithe i gcásanna clúmhillte na hArd- Chúirte. Mar sin féin, ní réiteodh sé go hiomlán ceist na gcostas díréireach dlí do chásanna dlí den sórt sin. Ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar theorainneacha comhréireacha a bhunú ar dhamáistí i gcásanna clúmhillte agus meicníochtaí a thabhairt isteach chun costais dlíthíochta a theorannú, lena n- áirithítear 110 Tá an táille ceadúnais bhliantúil iníoctha ag gach teaghlach a bhfuil gléas teilifíse ina sheilbh acu. D’fhan sé ag an ráta céanna 160 EUR le 17 mbliana anuas. In 2023, liostaíodh an ráta imghabhála mar 13 faoin gcéad. 111 Soláthraíonn an tAcht um Shaoráil Faisnéise cosc iomlán ar “thaifead a bhaineann leis an Uachtarán”. Is féidir le comhlachtaí ábhartha stáit faisnéis faoi chaiteachas oifig an uachtaráin a iniúchadh agus is féidir leis an gCoiste Parlaiminteach um Chuntais Phoiblí í a scrúdú, i.e. tá roinnt áirithe trédhearcachta ann.

Éire Leathanach: 25 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT go bhfanann cúiteamh i leith díobhála clú cothrom agus ag an am céanna cosc a chur ar ualach airgeadais imeachtaí clúmhillte ó bheith ina bagairt ar inmharthanacht na meán. Tá an earnáil craolacháin á rialú ag an Acht Craolacháin, 2009, a chinneann cothroime, oibiachtúlacht agus neamhchlaontacht mar threoirphrionsabail. Déantar na prionsabail sin a mhionléiriú i gcaighdeáin atá leagtha amach i gcód a d’ullmhaigh rialtóir na meán. 112 Roimh gach toghchán, eisíonn an CnaM treoirlínte sonracha cumhdaigh a ndearna ionadaithe na meán cur síos orthu don OIDCD MMT mar threoirlínte atá soiléir agus bunaithe ar aiseolas ó thionscal na meán agus ar thaithí roimhe seo. Don toghchán seo, chuir an CnaM tréimhse éigeantach de “chúram breise” in ionad an mhoratóir tuairiscithe 24 uair an chloig roimh thoghcháin, a éilíonn réamhchúraimí ardaithe chun faisnéis tobann nó neamhfhíoraithe a chosc ó thionchar míchuí a imirt ar vótálaithe. Ceadaíonn treoirlínte CnaM discréid réasúnta maidir le cur i bhfeidhm. Tá cead ag craoltóirí, mar shampla, rogha a dhéanamh ar cheart am craolta a leithdháileadh ar bhonn fíor-chomhionann nó comhréireach. Déanann na stáisiúin monatóireacht ar an leithdháileadh ama craolta iad féin. Tá cosc ar fhógraíocht pholaitiúil sna meáin chraolta ach ceadaítear í sna meáin chlóite, ar líne agus lasmuigh (faoi réir lipéadú soiléir). Is féidir le páirtithe polaitíochta cláraithe am craolta saor in aisce a iarraidh le haghaidh craoltaí páirtí polaitíochta (PPBanna), ach ní dhearna aon duine amhlaidh toisc nár ainmnigh páirtí polaitíochta amháin aon iarrthóir uachtaránachta amháin. Dúirt craoltóirí leis an OIDCD MMT gur fearr le páirtithe polaitíochta airgead a chaitheamh ar fhíseáin ar na meáin shóisialta, mar go mbreathnaítear orthu mar thoradh níos fearr ar a n-infheistíocht. Chuir an CnaM in iúl don OIDCD MMT go raibh 3 ghearán faighte aige faoi chlúdach an fheachtais uachtaránachta seo agus dúirt sé go dtógfadh an measúnú tosaigh ar cibé an bhfuil siad inghlactha dhá mhí ar a laghad. I gcás sáruithe leanúnacha agus tromchúiseacha, ní thugann amlíne den sórt sin sásamh tráthúil. D’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar shásra sealadach mear le linn tréimhsí toghcháin a bhunú chun gearáin ó na meáin a láimhseáil go tapa agus chun leigheasanna tráthúla a áirithiú. Déantar féinrialú ar na meáin ar líne agus ar na meáin chlóite, lena n-áirítear le linn feachtais. 113 Dhéanfadh Ombudsman an Phreasa gearáin faoina n-iompar a athbhreithniú, agus ar achomharc, dhéanfadh Comhairle an Phreasa athbhreithniú orthu. C. C LÚDACH NA MEÁN AR AN BHFEACHTAS Bhí neart deiseanna ag iarrthóirí uachtaránachta a n-ardáin a chur i láthair i roinnt díospóireachtaí ina raibh iriseoirí á gceistiú go bríomhar. Mar sin féin, cuireadh in iúl go bhféadfadh an caidreamh cluthar idir tionscail nuachta agus caidrimh phoiblí, agus daoine gairmiúla ag aistriú go seasta eatarthu, mar shaincheist iontaobhais ionchasach i dtreo tuairiscithe polaitíochta, mar a léiríodh san fheachtas seo freisin. 114 Dhírigh an chuid is mó d’aird na meán ar phríomhábhair imní beartais – amhail an ganntanas tithíochta nó neodracht agus beartas eachtrach na hÉireann – chomh maith le gníomhartha na n -iarrthóirí san am a chuaigh thart a labhair le carachtar agus le breithiúnas. Dúirt roinnt idirghabhálaithe go raibh fócas an-phearsanta agus go minic diúltach sa chlúdach dosheachanta, ag tabhairt faoi deara, ós rud é go bhfuil an t-uachtarán díolmhaithe ó iarratais FOIA, gurb ionann an feachtas agus an t-aon tréimhse inar féidir le tuairimí, iompar agus airgeadas iarrthóra a bheith faoi réir grinnscrúdú poiblí. D’fhoilsigh dhá asraon seiceála fíricí – Soiléire RTE agus faoi úinéireacht phríobháideach The Journal – mínitheoirí ar na saincheisteanna is práinní den fheachtas nó rinne siad bréagaisnéis a bhain leis an bpróiseas toghcháin a bhréagnú. 112 Ghlac CnaM leis an gCód Cothroime, Oibiachtúlachta agus Neamhchlaontachta sa Nuacht agus i nGnóthaí Reatha i mí na Nollag 2024. Lean Treoirlínte maidir le Clúdach Imeachtaí Toghcháin é i Meán Fómhair, 2025. Ní bhaineann siad le cló, na meáin shóisialta, seirbhísí meán closamhairc ar éileamh nó ábhar clóite/closamhairc ar líne. 113 Moltar sa dréacht-reachtaíocht na prionsabail chéanna a chur i bhfeidhm ar chraoltóirí agus a bhaineann le haschur ar líne na meán seirbhíse poiblí. 114 Go gairid i ndiaidh lá an toghcháin tugadh le fios go raibh Ivan Yates, iar-pholaiteoir a bhí ag obair mar thráchtaire polaitíochta le linn an fheachtais, oiliúint sna meáin ar fáil don Uasal Gavin agus nár nocht sé riamh é do bhainistíocht Newstalk, ná don lucht féachana.

Éire Leathanach: 26 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Thionóil RTÉ grúpa oibre chun na prionsabail maidir le clúdach toghcháin a bhunú agus tháinig siad le chéile go rialta chun comhlíonadh a sheiceáil. 115 Ina theannta sin, d’eisigh sé treoir don fhoireann ar fad agus do chomhoibrithe seachtracha, ag tabhairt treoir dóibh staonadh ó thuairimí a chur in iúl faoi na hiarrthóirí, a lucht tacaíochta, nó saincheisteanna feachtais ar na meáin shóisialta ar feadh thréimhse an fheachtais. Ós rud é nach raibh ach beirt iarrthóirí fágtha san fheachtas tar éis an 5 Deireadh Fómhair, roinn na craoltóirí an t- am craolta go cothrom agus rinne siad é a chothromú thar gach clár nuachta agus cúrsaí reatha. Mar sin féin, mar thoradh ar an meascán de dhíospóireachtaí iomadúla agus agallaimh duine le duine ar thaobh amháin, agus gan ach beirt rannpháirtithe i gceist ar an taobh eile, bhí an clúdach athchleachtach, agus na ceisteanna agus na freagraí céanna ag teacht chun cinn arís is arís eile. Cuireadh fotheidil ar dhíospóireachtaí RTÉ i bhfíor-am chun inrochtaineacht a chinntiú do lucht féachana a bhfuil lagú éisteachta orthu. Chraol an craoltóir poiblí Gaeilge TG4 clúdach polaitiúil a d’ullmhaigh RTE toisc nach bhfuil seirbhís nuachta nó tairseach nuachta ar líne atá neamhspleách ó thaobh eagarthóireachta de aige go fóill. Roghnaigh sé gan díospóireachtaí a óstáil, toisc nach raibh ach iarrthóir amháin ina chainteoir líofa Gaeilge; chuirfeadh díospóireacht Ghaeilge an t-iarrthóir eile faoi mhíbhuntáiste. De réir an chainéil, bhí aiseolas diúltach ón lucht féachana tarraingthe ag iarrachtaí roimhe seo ar fhotheidealú nó ar aistriúchán fíor-ama a sholáthar. XI. RÉITEACH DÍOSPÓIDE TOGHCHÁIN Ráthaíonn an Bunreacht neamhspleáchas na mbreithiúna. Cuimsíonn an córas cúirte cúirteanna dúiche, cúirteanna cuarda, an Ard-Chúirt, an Chúirt Achomhairc, agus an Chúirt Uachtarach. 116 Níl aon chúirt bhunreachtúil ann; déileálann an Ard-Chúirt le cúrsaí bunreachtúla agus is féidir achomharc a dhéanamh chuig an gCúirt Achomhairc agus chuig an gCúirt Uachtarach. Déantar réiteach díospóide toghcháin a riar go heisiach tríd an gcóras cúirte. Bunaítear le hAcht Toghcháin an Uachtaráin, 1992 dlínse na hArd-Chúirte chun achainíocha toghcháin ar bhailíocht toghcháin a bhreithniú. Is féidir achomharc a dhéanamh go díreach chuig an gCúirt Uachtarach i gcoinne chinntí na hArd- Chúirte mar chás deiridh. Ní chuirtear aon spriocdháta ar fáil chun cásanna a chomhdú agus a bhreithniú os comhair na Cúirte Uachtaraí. Foráiltear sa dlí go bhféadfar agóid a dhéanamh i dtoghchán uachtaránachta ar fhoras cionta ar leith a bhaineann le clárú vótálaithe agus iarrthóirí, feachtasaíocht, vótáil agus comhaireamh, agus toradh an toghcháin. 117 I measc na bhforas le haghaidh dúshláin tá bac, cur isteach nó bac ar an bpróiseas toghcháin, chomh maith le botúin nó neamhrialtachtaí eile a d’fhéadfadh, dá mbunófaí iad, cur isteach ar thoradh toghcháin. 118 Cuireann an nóisean deiridh sin ualach ard cruthúnais ar an achainíoch. 119 115 Tugann Beartais agus Treoirlínte RTÉ breac- chuntas ar na prionsabail chumhdaigh eagarthóireachta agus feachtais a chuireann RTÉ i bhfeidhm ar fud a thuairiscithe toghcháin, lena n- áirítear socruithe chun clúdach foriomlán toghcháin a chomhordú i gcomhréir le treoir rialála maidir le cothroime, oibiachtúlacht agus neamhchlaontacht. 116 Tá an Ard-Chúirt, an Chúirt Achomhairc agus an Chúirt Uachtarach lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath. Is féidir leis an Ard-Chúirt taisteal timpeall na tíre, áfach, chun cásanna a éisteacht. Ceapann an tUachtarán breithiúna ar chomhairle an Rialtais. 117 Déanann Alt 59 d’Acht Toghchán an Uachtaráin, 1993 tagairt d’oifigí toghcháin éagsúla lena n- áirítear pearsanú, breabaireacht; tionchar míchuí; sárú na rúndachta; cionta a bhaineann le páipéir ainmniúcháin agus ballóide; iompar mí-ordúil ag cruinnithe toghcháin; sáruithe ar nochtadh ábhar feachtais; oifigigh ag gníomhú mar ghníomhaire iarrthóra nó a chuireann iarrthóireacht ar aghaidh; bac foréigneach ar ainmniúchán nó ar vótaíocht; cur isteach ar pháipéir bhallóide poist nó iad a dhíothú; vótáil neamhdhleathach; Páipéir bhallóide á marcáil go neamhdhleathach ag daoine atá ag gníomhú mar chompánaigh. 118 Tá na pionóis do na cionta toghcháin sin idir 1,000 EUR agus 2,500 EUR nó, de rogha na cúirte, príosúnacht ar feadh tréimhse idir sé mhí agus dhá bhliain, nó fíneáil agus príosúnacht araon. 119 Féach Hanafin seachas An tAire Comhshaoil [1996] 2 IR 321 “I gcomhréir le prionsabail an dlí shibhialta, bhí an t-ualach ar an achainíoch a shuíomh, de réir cothromaíochta na dóchúlachta, go raibh tionchar ábhartha ag cur isteach an rialtais ar thoradh an reifrinn.”

Éire Leathanach: 27 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Ní féidir ach leis an Stiúrthóir Ionchúiseamh Poiblí, iarrthóirí nó a ngníomhairí achainí toghcháin uachtaránachta a thaisceadh. Níl a leithéid de theorannú sin ar sheasamh dlíthiúil i gcomhréir le caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta agus le dea-chleachtas. 120 I gcomhréir le caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta agus le dea- chleachtas toghcháin, ba cheart machnamh a dhéanamh ar an seasamh dlíthiúil a leathnú chun achainíocha toghcháin a thaisceadh sna cúirteanna. Ní mór achainí a chomhdú laistigh de sheacht lá ó dhearbhú thorthaí an toghcháin. Cé nach leagann an dlí aon spriocdhátaí amach maidir le hachainíocha a éisteacht agus a bhreithniú, ceanglaítear ar an Ard-Chúirt tosaíocht a thabhairt do na cásanna sin. 121 Glactar go forleathan leis an gcóras réitithe díospóide toghcháin agus measann páirtithe leasmhara go ginearálta go bhfuil sé feidhmiúil. Mar sin féin, ní ráthaíonn sé go dlíthiúil sásamh pras de réir na hamlíne toghcháin agus d’fhéadfadh sé, dá bhrí sin, sárú a dheanamh ar chearta vótálaithe. 122 D’fhonn cloí go hiomlán le dea- chleachtas idirnáisiúnta, d’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar spriocdhátaí a reachtú chun achainíocha a bhreithniú d’fhonn athbhreithniú tráthúil ar dhíospóidí a bhaineann le toghcháin a ráthú, lena n-áirítear iad siúd a bhaineann le hainmniúcháin na n- iarrthóirí. Teastaíonn éarlais airgeadaíochta de 6,250 EUR chun achainí a chomhdú; tá an tsuim ceaptha chun aon chostais a bhaineann le himeachtaí cúirte a chumhdach. Féadfaidh an Ard-Chúirt an méid a ísliú faoi imthosca sonracha. 123 Cé go bhféadfadh taisce shubstainteach airgeadaíochta dlíthíocht suaibhreosach agus bhréagach a chosc, níl sé ag teacht go hiomlán le caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta, toisc go bhféadfadh tairseach ard airgeadais dúshláin dhlisteanacha a dhíspreagadh agus an ceart sásaimh dhlíthiúil a theorannú. 124 Níor tugadh aghaidh ar mholadh OIDCD roimhe seo chun athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an gcleachtas seo. D’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar mhéid na taisce airgeadaíochta chun achainíocha toghcháin a chomhdú lena chinntiú go bhféadfaí cearta dlisteanacha a chosaint sa chúirt agus achomhairc bhréagacha á ndíspreagadh ag an am céanna. Roimh lá an toghcháin, d’éist an Ard- Chúirt le dhá chás a thug daoine aonair chun chinn ag líomhain gur thug an Leas-Phríomh-Aire agus ceannaire páirtí Fhine Gael Simon Harris treoracha neamhdhleathacha do chomhairleoirí áitiúla an pháirtí bac a chur le hainmniúchán iarrthóirí neamhspleácha, rud a d’fhág go raibh próiseas iomlán ainmniúcháin na n-iarrthóirí uachtaránachta míbhunreachtúil. An 20 Deireadh Fómhair, d’éist agus dhíbh an Chúirt an chéad tairiscint i gcoinne an Leas-Phríomh-Aire, an Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, agus an Ard-Aighne. 125 Díbheadh éileamh comhchosúil an 23 Deireadh Fómhair. 126 Sa dá chás, chinn an Chúirt go leagtar amach go soiléir in Airteagal 12.4 den Bhunreacht na critéir ainmniúcháin agus gur ábhar polaitiúil a bhí in aon treoracha laistigh den pháirtí agus nach raibh siad neamhdhleathach nó i gcoinne an Bhunreachta. 120 Comhdháil ESCE 1990 ar an Doiciméad Daonna (Doiciméad Chóbanhávan), alt. Deir 5.10 “ go mbeidh modh éifeachtach sásaimh ag gach duine i gcoinne cinntí riaracháin, chun meas ar chearta bunúsacha a ráthú agus sláine dhlíthiúil a áirithiú.” Deir Alt 99 den Tuarascáil Mhínithe a ghabhann leis an gCód Dea -Chleachtais: “Ní mór achomhairc a sheasamh in (...) a dheonú chomh forleathan agus is féidir. Caithfidh sé a bheith oscailte do gach toghthóir sa dáilcheantar agus do gach iarrthóir a bheidh ag seasamh don toghchán ann achomharc a dhéanamh.” Féach freisin Airteagal 2 (3) den ICCPR, agus Airteagal 14 de ECHR. 121 Chuir an Roinn Tithíochta in iúl don OIDCD MMT go bhfuil cúirteanna aireach ar an dáta insealbhaithe den 11 Samhain 2025 agus go mbeadh sé mar aidhm acu aon achainí iarthoghcháin a bhreithniú roimh an dáta sin. 122 Féach Tuarascáil Mhínithe ar an gCód Dea -Chleachtais, alt 93 “Ba cheart go mbeadh imeachtaí achomhairc chomh gairid agus is féidir, in aon chás a bhaineann le cinntí a dhéanfar roimh na toghcháin. (….) Ciallaíonn sé sin go gcaithfidh na teorainneacha ama le haghaidh achomharc a bheith an-ghearr agus ní mór an comhlacht achomhairc a rialú a dhéanamh chomh tapa agus is féidir. Ní mór teorainneacha ama a bheith fada go leor, áfach, chun achomharc a dhéanamh indéanta, d’fhonn feidhmiú cearta cosanta agus cinneadh léirithe a ráthú.” 123 Féadfaidh an Ard-Chúirt an méid sin a ísliú más deimhin léi go bhfuil an tsuim ró-ard don achainíoch nó go bhféadfadh sí cruatan tromchúiseach a chur air nó uirthi, agus féadfaidh sí an t-achainíoch a scaoileadh ó aon chostais a bhaineann le himeachtaí i ndáil leis an achainí. 124 Féach Staidéar Choimisiún na Veinéise 2010 ar Rochtain Aonair ar Cheartas Bunreachtúil , alt 117, “Molann Coimisiún na Veinéise, i bhfianaise chosaint níos cuimsithí ar chearta an duine, gur cheart táillí cúirte do dhaoine aonair a shocrú sách íseal agus gur cheart go bhféadfaí iad a laghdú de réir staid airgeadais an iarratasóra. Ba chóir go mbeadh sé mar phríomhaidhm acu mí - úsáid fhollasach a dhíspreagadh.” 125 Ard-Chúirt na hÉireann: Byrne seachas. An Tánaiste agus Ors. Féach tráchtaireacht ar rialú na cúirte freisin. 126 Diúltaíonn an Ard- Chúirt dúshlán maidir le próiseas ainmniúcháin do thoghchán na huachtaránachta.

Éire Leathanach: 28 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT XII. BREATHNÓIREACHT TOGHCHÁIN Tá sé de cheart ag iarrthóirí uachtaránachta agus a ngníomhairí a bheith i láthair i stáisiúin vótaíochta le linn ballóidí poist a phróiseáil, agus le linn comhaireamh na vótaí. Níl sé de cheart acu a bheith i láthair le linn vótála speisialta i dtithe naíscoile, in ospidéil agus in institiúidí cúraim. 127 Níl forálacha sa reachtaíocht maidir le breathnóireacht toghcháin, ní saoránaigh ná idirnáisiúnta iad, atá contrártha le gealltanais an ESCE. 128 Agus a ghealltanas ESCE a chomhlíonadh fós chun cuireadh a thabhairt do bhreathnóirí idirnáisiúnta, thug na húdaráis cuireadh do OIDCD breathnú ar an toghchán agus thug siad rochtain gan bhac don mhisean ar gach céim den phróiseas toghcháin, lena n-áirítear ar lá an toghcháin. 129 Go praiticiúil, tá rochtain ag breathnóirí ar stáisiúin vótaíochta agus ar ionaid chomhairimh faoi rogha oifigeach ceannais an stáisiúin vótaíochta nó an ceann comhairimh. Ba cheart an reachtaíocht toghcháin a leasú chun rochtain na mbreathnóirí saoránach agus idirnáisiúnta ar gach gné den phróiseas toghcháin a ráthú go sainráite, i gcomhréir le gealltanais idirnáisiúnta na hÉireann. D’fhéadfadh go mbeadh ar eagraíochtaí na sochaí sibhialta (ESSanna) atá i mbun abhcóideachta ginearálta, seachas feachtais toghcháin, clárú le SIPO agus a bheith faoi réir teorainneacha síntiús agus srianta ar mhaoiniú eachtrach faoin Acht Toghcháin. Mhol OIDCD an sainmhíniú ar “chríocha polaitiúla” a chaolú in 2007, ach níor leasaíodh an tAcht Toghcháin ina leith sin. Thug roinnt idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT faoi deara gur teorainn ar shaoirse comhlachais é iarraidh ar ESSanna neamhthoghcháin clárú le SIPO. 130 Níl aon rialacháin dlí ann a rialaíonn rochtain ar na meáin chun ullmhúcháin agus stiúradh na dtoghchán nó an próiseas comhairimh a leanúint. Chuir na cinn chomhairimh in iúl, áfach, go bhféadfadh na meáin a bheith i láthair i stáisiúin vótaíochta agus in ionaid chomhairimh lena n- áirítear san ionad comhairimh náisiúnta, ach teastaíonn cead ó na cinn chomhairimh áitiúla chun scannánú agus taifeadadh a dhéanamh. 131 Mar sin féin, d’fhéadfadh easpa rialacháin fhoirmiúil maidir le rochtain ar na meáin bac a chur ar chumas na meán na toghcháin a chlúdach. XIII. LÁ AN TOGHCHÁIN AGUS COMHAIREAMH A. O SCAILT, VÓTÁIL, AGUS DÚNADH Ag teacht le modheolaíocht OIDCD, ní dhearna OIDCD MMT breathnóireacht chuimsitheach agus chórasach ar imeachtaí lá an toghcháin ach thug sé cuairt ar líon teoranta stáisiún vótaíochta i gcathair agus i gcontae Bhaile Átha Cliath ar lá an toghcháin. Tugadh rochtain iomlán do bhreathnóirí OIDCD MMT le linn an phróisis. Bhí beagnach gach áitreabh vótaíochta ar tugadh cuairt air inrochtana do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas fisiceach chun rochtain neamhspleách a fháil. 127 Chuir na cinn chomhairimh i nGaillimh, i gcathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus i gContae Bhaile Átha Cliath in iúl don OIDCD MMT gur dhiúltaigh siad iarratais ó bhreathnóirí an Choimisiúin Toghcháin agus ó ghníomhairí is iarrthóirí ar rochtain chun na nósanna imeachta vótála speisialta a urramú, ag míniú nach dtugann an dlí rogha dóibh rochtain den sórt sin a dheonú. 128 Deir Alt 8 de Dhoiciméad Chóbanhávan an ESCE 1990 “go measann na Stáit rannpháirteacha gur féidir le láithreacht breathnóirí, idir choigríche agus intíre, an próiseas toghcháin do Stáit ina bhfuil toghcháin ar siúl a fheabhsú”. 129 Moltar in ailt II.3.2.a-b den Chód Dea-Chleachtais “gur cheart an deis is leithne is féidir a thabhairt do bhreathnóirí páirt a ghlacadh i gcleachtadh breathnóireachta toghcháin” agus “nach mór breathnóireacht a theorannú do lá an toghcháin féin [...]. Caithfidh sé a dhéanamh indéanta a chinneadh ar tharla neamhrialtachtaí roimh, le linn nó tar éis na dtoghchán” 130 Tá an cheist ar eolas go maith ag comhlachtaí stáit agus pléadh í i ndoiciméid eagraíochtaí idirnáisiúnta. Chuir an Coimisiún Toghcháin an cheist seo san áireamh ina Chlár Taighde 2024- 2026 (lch.16). Féach freisin Tuarascáil Ghníomhaireacht an Aontais Eorpaigh um Chearta Bunúsacha 2017 maidir le Dúshláin atá os comhair eagraíochtaí na sochaí sibhialta atá ag obair ar chearta an duine san AE (lch.22) agus an Tuarascáil 2019 ar Mhaoiniú Comhlachas (p.17) ó Choimisiún na Veinéise. 131 Tugann an Meabhrán do Chinn Chomhairimh Áitiúla ag Toghchán an Uachtaráin an 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 aghaidh ar rochtain na meán ar ionaid chomhairimh agus luann sé grianghrafadóireacht ag na meáin ag stáisiúin vótaíochta.

Éire Leathanach: 29 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT Sna stáisiúin vótaíochta, leanadh go ginearálta nósanna imeachta OIDCD MMT ar thug siad cuairt orthu. Go ginearálta, rinne foireann an stáisiúin vótaíochta a ndualgais ar bhealach gairmiúil agus éifeachtach. De ghnáth, tugadh tacaíocht do vótálaithe faoi mhíchumas a raibh cúnamh ag teastáil uathu ar bhealach measúil agus cuí. Bhí bothanna le dromchla níos ísle d’úsáideoirí cathaoireacha rothaí agus teimpléid pháipéir bhallóide do vótálaithe lagamhairc feistithe i ngach stáisiún vótaíochta ar tugadh cuairt orthu. Tar éis am dúnta, bailíodh na boscaí ballóide séalaithe agus aistríodh iad chuig an ionad comhairimh áitiúil lena gcoimeád slán thar oíche. B. C OMHAIREAMH Bhí OIDCD MMT i láthair le linn oscailt na mboscaí ballóide agus comhaireamh na vótaí i gcúig ionad comhairimh i gcathair agus i gcontae Bhaile Átha Cliath ar an 25 Deireadh Fómhair. Rinneadh an comhaireamh ar bhealach trédhearcach gairmiúil ag thart ar 25–30 foireann chomhaireamh, beirt i ngach foireann, faoi mhaoirseacht an chinn chomhairimh áitiúil nó ionadaí ainmnithe nó ceann comhairimh cúnta. Bhí láithreacht shuntasach gníomhairí iarrthóra (‘tallymen’) ann ag déanamh ionadaíochta ar iarrthóirí Connolly agus Humphreys, chomh maith le hionadaithe ó na meáin agus baill den phobal. Chuir a láithreacht le trédhearcacht an phróisis chomhairimh. Áiríodh ballóidí agus an rogha mharcáilte ag dul in airde, rud a chuir ar chumas na ngníomhairí iarrthóra leibhéil tacaíochta dá n- iarrthóir a thomhas. Tugadh cuireadh do ghníomhairí athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar na páipéir bhallóide faoi dhíospóid sular stampáladh “Diúltaithe” orthu. Bhí líon na vótaí neamhbhailí neamhghnách ard, ag 12.9 faoin gcéad. Cuireadh é seo i leith go príomha mar gheall ar tharraingt siar déanach an iarrthóra Gavin ón rás, rud a d’fhág gur mhilleadh cuid acu a gcuid ballóidí d’aon ghnó nó trí thimpiste. 132 Ba é 816 líon na mballóidí a neamhbhailíodh mar gheall ar easpa an stampa oifigiúil – inchurtha i leith earráidí ag oifigigh cheannais agus ballóidí á n- eisiúint acu - i gcomparáid le 1,956 in olltoghchán 2024. In ainneoin an fhigiúir níos ísle, leagann sé seo béim fós ar an ngá atá le hoiliúint a neartú agus cloí le nósanna imeachta forordaithe a threisiú. C. T ÁBLÚ AGUS FÓGAIRT TORTHAÍ Tarchuireadh torthaí ó na 43 toghcheantar go leictreonach chuig an ionad comhairimh náisiúnta i gCaisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath. Nuair a fíoraíodh iad agus nuair a glacadh leo, d’fhógair an PRO torthaí toghcheantair agus cuireadh ar fáil go poiblí iad. 133 Ní raibh torthaí ar fáil dí- chomhbhailithe ag stáisiún vótaíochta laistigh den toghcheantar, rud a bhain ón trédhearcacht iomlán. Mhínigh an PRO, mar a tharla i dtoghcháin náisiúnta eile, go measctar ballóidí ó gach stáisiún vótaíochta i dtoghcheantar sula gcuirtear tús leis an gcomhaireamh. De réir idirghabhálaithe OIDCD MMT, úsáidtear iarrthóirí agus a ngníomhairí chuig próiseas comhairimh aonfhoirmeach beag beann ar an gcineál toghcháin, agus go bhfuil ardleibhéal muiníne sa phróiseas comhairimh agus táblúcháin. Ar 25 Deireadh Fómhair, d’fhógair an PRO torthaí an toghcháin deiridh agus d’fhógair Catherine Martina Ann Connolly buaiteoir an toghcháin uachtaránachta. Tuairiscíodh gur 45.83 faoin gcéad líon na ndaoine a vótáil. Ní dhearnadh figiúirí rannpháirtíochta vótálaithe foilsithe a dhí-chomhbhailiú de réir inscne mar a moladh faoi CEDAW. 134 132 Thuairiscigh cinn chomhairimh áitiúla gur diúltaíodh do 125,732 nó 58.8 faoin gcéad de na ballóidí neamhbhailí toisc go raibh scríbhneoireacht nó marcanna iontu trína bhféadfaí an vótálaí a aithint, 55,539 nó 26.0 faoin gcéad – toisc nach raibh an chéad rogha marcáilte go soiléir, lena n-áirítear páipéir bhallóide gan mharcáil, 31,651 nó 14.8 faoin gcéad – as a céadrogha a bheith léirithe go soiléir do níos mó ná iarrthóir amháin, agus diúltaíodh 816 vóta nó 0.4 faoin gcéad mar gheall ar easpa an marc oifigiúil. 133 Féach ar shuíomh gréasáin Cheann Comhairimh Uachtaránachta na hÉireann le haghaidh tuilleadh sonraí. 134 Iarrtar in Airteagal 48(d) de Mholadh Ginearálta Choiste CEDAW Uimh. 23 go mbaileofar sonraí dí-chomhbhailithe inscne maidir le rannpháirtíocht i dtoghcháin agus i reifrinn phoiblí.

Éire Leathanach: 30 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT XIV. MOLTAÍ Cuirtear na moltaí seo ar fáil tríd an téacs d’fhonn cur le reáchtáil na dtoghchán in Éirinn a thuilleadh agus chun tacú le hiarrachtaí iad a thabhairt go hiomlán i gcomhréir le gealltanais ESCE agus le hoibleagáidí agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta eile do thoghcháin dhaonlathacha. Tá OIDCD réidh chun cabhrú le húdaráis na hÉireann an próiseas toghcháin a fheabhsú tuilleadh agus aghaidh a thabhairt ar na moltaí atá sa tuarascáil seo. 135 A. M OLTAÍ TOSAÍOCHTA 1. D’fhonn inrochtaineacht a fheabhsú agus cur chun feidhme aonfhoirmeach an chreata dhlíthiúil toghcháin a éascú, ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar an reachtaíocht toghcháin reatha a chomhdhlúthú go foirmiúil. 2. Chun vótáil chomhionann a áirithiú, ba cheart clárú vótálaithe agus nósanna imeachta vótála do vótálaithe lasmuigh den tír a dhéanamh aonfhoirmeach do gach saoránach thar lear. 3. Ba cheart d’údaráis tosaíocht a thabhairt do chomhlánú agus d’fheidhmiú na socruithe rialála digiteacha atá ábhartha do thoghcháin trí fhorálacha an Achta um Athchóirithe Toghcháin atá fós gan réiteach a athbhreithniú, a thabhairt cothrom le dáta agus, de réir mar is iomchuí, a thosú ar bhealach atá comhsheasmhach le rialacha an AE maidir le Seirbhísí Digiteacha agus an Mhargaidh Aonair Dhigitigh. Ba cheart go gcinnteodh sé sin go bhfuil cumhachtaí reachtúla éifeachtacha dílsithe ag an gCoimisiún Toghcháin chun faireachán a dhéanamh ar rioscaí a bhaineann le hábhar ar líne le linn tréimhsí toghcháin agus chun aghaidh a thabhairt orthu. 4. D’fhonn trédhearcacht a fheabhsú, ba cheart féachaint ar cheanglais eatramhacha maidir le tuairisciú airgeadais feachtais a thabhairt isteach chun a áirithiú go mbeidh rochtain ag vótálaithe ar fhaisnéis thráthúil chuimsitheach roimh lá an toghcháin. 5. Beag beann ar na socruithe institiúideacha maidir le maoirseacht ar mhaoiniú feachtais, ba cheart acmhainní leordhóthanacha airgeadais, teicniúla agus daonna a sholáthar don údarás inniúil chun maoirseacht éifeachtach, chuimsitheach agus thráthúil ar gach gné de mhaoiniú feachtais a áirithiú. 6. Ba cheart do na húdaráis sásra maoinithe a bhunú do na meáin seirbhíse poiblí lena soláthraítear maoiniú ilbhliantúil leordhóthanach agus intuartha a bhaintear go leordhóthanach ón rialtas agus lena gcosnaítear neamhspleáchas eagarthóireachta na gcraoltóirí seirbhíse poiblí. 7. D’fhonn cloí go hiomlán le dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta, d’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar spriocdhátaí a reachtú chun achainíocha a bhreithniú d’fhonn athbhreithniú tráthúil ar dhíospóidí a bhaineann le toghcháin a ráthú, lena n-áirítear iad siúd a bhaineann le hainmniúcháin na n-iarrthóirí. 8. Ba cheart an reachtaíocht toghcháin a leasú chun rochtain na mbreathnóirí saoránach agus idirnáisiúnta ar gach gné den phróiseas toghcháin a ráthú go sainráite, i gcomhréir le gealltanais idirnáisiúnta na hÉireann. 135 In alt 25 de Dhoiciméad Iostanbúl OSCE 1999, gheall Stáit rannpháirteacha ESCE iad féin “chun obair leantach a dhéanamh go pras ar mheasúnú toghcháin agus ar mholtaí toghcháin an OIDCD”.

Éire Leathanach: 31 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT B. M OLTAÍ EILE Cúlra Polaitiúil 9. Ba cheart do pháirtithe polaitíochta bacainní ar rannpháirtíocht na mban a shainaithint trí iniúchtaí inscne, athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar chleachtais inmheánacha agus bearta a chur chun feidhme chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar bhearnaí. An Creat Dlíthiúil 10. D’fhéadfadh an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, i gcás gach imeachta toghcháin, na hionstraimí reachtúla ábhartha a chomhdhlúthú in aon doiciméad amháin agus iad a fhoilsiú ar a láithreán gréasáin chun éiginnteacht faoin gcreat rialála is infheidhme a sheachaint. Riarachán Toghcháin 11. Chun rannpháirtíocht na mban i riarachán toghcháin a chur chun cinn, ba cheart don cheann comhairimh uachtaránachta sonraí dí-chomhbhailithe a bhailiú agus a fhoilsiú maidir le hionadaíocht inscne na foirne vótaíochta agus comhairimh. 12. D’fhonn feidhmiú éifeachtach an chirt vótála a chinntiú agus chun éifeachtacht an bhirt cóiríochta a neartú, ba cheart tréimhse réasúnta a sholáthar do vótálaithe chun socruithe vótála malartacha a iarraidh. 13. D’fhéadfaí oiliúint a chur ar fáil d’fhoireann vótaíochta agus chomhairimh ar bhealach níos tarraingtí agus níos idirghníomhaí, agus ba cheart ábhair oiliúna a chur in oiriúint go sonrach don chineál toghcháin atá beartaithe dóibh a chlúdach. 14. Ba cheart athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an bhforáil maidir le vótáil chuidithe lena eisiamh go gcabhraíonn an duine céanna, an t-oifigeach ceannais san áireamh, le hiliomad vótálaithe. Ba chóir ceart vótálaithe cúnamh a fháil ó dhuine dá rogha féin a leathnú chuig vótáil speisialta agus ar lá an toghcháin níor cheart é a theorannú sa dá uair dheireanach roimh dhúnadh na vótaíochta. Clárú Vótálaithe 15. Ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar gach muirear a bhaineann le deimhniú leighis a fhorchuirtear ar dhaoine a dhéanann iarratas ar phostvótáil mar gheall ar bhreoiteacht nó míchumais a tharscaoileadh. Clárú Iarrthóra 16. Ba cheart an reachtaíocht a leasú chun an ceart follasach a thabhairt d’iarrthóirí ionchasacha botúin nó easnaimh a cheartú ina bpáipéir ainmniúcháin roimh an rialú ar ainmniúcháin. Feachtas Toghcháin 17. D’fhonn deighilt shoiléir idir feachtasaíocht agus feidhmeanna poiblí a áirithiú, ba cheart go saineofaí go soiléir sa chreat dlíthiúil raon feidhme na ngníomhaíochtaí ceadaithe ag oifigigh phoiblí le linn feachtais. D’fhéadfadh forbairt treoirlínte praiticiúla d’iarrthóirí, do pháirtithe, agus d’oifigigh phoiblí a théann i ngleic leis na gnéithe sin comhlíonadh a éascú. 18. D’fhéadfadh údaráis ábhartha, i gcomhar leis an bparlaimint, páirtithe, agus an tsochaí shibhialta, smaoineamh ar chreat a fhorbairt agus a oibriú chun ciapadh, imeaglú agus mí-úsáid a chosc agus aghaidh a thabhairt air a dhíríonn ar dhaoine aonair atá ag gabháil don saol polaitiúil. D’fhéadfadh meicníochtaí monatóireachta agus tuairiscithe teagmhais a bheith i gceist leis sin, comhordú

Éire Leathanach: 32 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT institiúideach neartaithe, agus bearta tacaíochta chun rannpháirtíocht shábháilte i ngnóthaí poiblí – as líne agus ar líne araon – a chinntiú agus cosaintí leordhóthanacha á soláthar do shaoirse cainte ag an am céanna. 19. Ba cheart do na húdaráis an reachtaíocht maidir le caint ghríosaitheach a neartú, lena n -áirítear trí liosta na saintréithe cosanta a leathnú chun ailíniú le dlíthe náisiúnta comhionannais agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta. D’fhéadfaí freagrachtaí institiúideacha maidir le faireachán agus forfheidhmiú, lena n-áirítear le linn tréimhsí toghcháin, a shoiléiriú agus a chomhordú ar bhealach níos fearr. Maoiniú Feachtais 20. D’fhonn cuntasacht chuí, soiléireacht agus forfheidhmiú cuí teorainneacha caiteachais a chinntiú, ba cheart rialacháin lena rialaítear caiteachas feachtas réamhthoghcháin a athbhreithniú agus a shoiléiriú chun gach costas a bhaineann le toghcháin a chumhdach. 21. D’fhonn cuimsitheacht, inchomparáideacht agus trédhearcacht na tuairiscithe ar mhaoiniú feachtas a fheabhsú, d’fhéadfaí breithniú a dhéanamh ar thuairisciú ar líne a thabhairt isteach. 22. D’fhonn trédhearcacht agus cuntasacht a neartú, ba cheart go gceanglófaí leis an reachtaíocht go gcuirfí nochtadh maoinithe tríú páirtí ar fáil go poiblí ar líne ar bhealach tráthúil agus inrochtana. Na Meáin 23. D’fhonn iolrachas na meán a chosaint, d’fhéadfadh reachtóirí smaoineamh ar uasteorainneacha a thabhairt isteach d’úinéireacht na meán nó ar chosaintí malartacha in aghaidh comhchruinnithe úinéireachta. 24. D’fhonn cuntasacht a neartú, d’fhéadfadh na húdaráis breithniú a dhéanamh ar reachtaíocht um shaoráil faisnéise a leathnú chun gach comhlacht poiblí a chlúdach. 25. Ba cheart breithniú a dhéanamh ar theorainneacha comhréireacha a bhunú ar dhamáistí i gcásanna clúmhillte agus meicníochtaí a thabhairt isteach chun costais dlíthíochta a theorannú, lena n-áirithítear go bhfanann cúiteamh i leith díobhála clú cothrom agus ag an am céanna cosc a chur ar ualach airgeadais imeachtaí clúmhillte ó bheith ina bagairt ar inmharthanacht na meán. 26. D’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar shásra sealadach mear le linn tréimhsí toghcháin a bhunú chun gearáin ó na meáin a láimhseáil go tapa agus chun leigheasanna tráthúla a áirithiú. Réiteach Díospóide Toghcháin 27. I gcomhréir le caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta agus le dea-chleachtas toghcháin, ba cheart machnamh a dhéanamh ar an seasamh dlíthiúil a leathnú chun achainíocha toghcháin a thaisceadh sna cúirteanna. 28. D’fhéadfaí machnamh a dhéanamh ar mhéid na taisce airgeadaíochta chun achainíocha toghcháin a chomhdú lena chinntiú go bhféadfaí cearta dlisteanacha a chosaint sa chúirt agus achomhairc bhréagacha á ndíspreagadh ag an am céanna.

Éire Leathanach: 33 Toghchán Uachtaránachta, 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 Tuarascáil Deiridh OIDCD MMT AGUISÍN: TORTHAÍ DEIRIDH AN TOGHCHÁIN 136 Iarrthóirí Vótaí Céadrogha Céatadán 1 Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (Neamhspleách) 914,143 63.36 2 Jim Gavin (Fianna Fáil) 103,568 7.18 3 Heather Humphreys (Fine Gael) 424,987 29.46 Iomlán 1,442.698 100.00 Líon iomlán na vótálaithe ar liostaí vótálaithe 3,614,450 100.00 Líon na vótálaithe a vótáil (líon daoine a vótáil) 1,656,436 45.83 Líon na vótaí bailí a caitheadh 1,442,698 87.10 An cuóta toghcháin (50 faoin gcéad de na vótaí bailí +1) 721,350 Líon na vótaí neamhbhailí a caitheadh 213,738 12.90 136 https://www.presidentialelection.ie/. Féach an iris oifigiúil, Iris Oifigiul ar an 28 Deireadh Fómhair.

MAIDIR LE ODIHR Is í an Oifig um Institiúidí Daonlathacha agus Cearta an Duine (OIDCD) príomhinstitiúid an ESCE chun cabhrú le Stáit rannpháirteacha “urraim iomlán a chinntiú do chearta an duine agus saoirsí bunúsacha, cloí leis an smacht reachta, prionsabail an daonlathais a chur chun cinn agus (...) institiúidí daonlathacha a thógáil, a neartú agus a chosaint, chomh maith le caoinfhulaingt a chur chun cinn ar fud na sochaí” (Doiciméad Cruinnithe Mullaigh Heilsincí 1992). Tugtar gné dhaonna an ESCE air seo. Cruthaíodh OIDCD, atá lonnaithe i Vársá (an Pholainn) mar an Oifig um Shaorthoghcháin ag Cruinniú Mullaigh Pháras 1990 agus thosaigh sé ag feidhmiú i mBealtaine 1991. Bliain ina dhiaidh sin, athraíodh ainm na hOifige d’fhonn sainordú leathnaithe a léiriú chun cearta daonna agus daonlathú a áireamh. Fostaíonn sé breis is 150 ball foirne inniu. Is é OIDCD an phríomhghníomhaireacht san Eoraip i réimse na breathnóireachta toghcháin . Gach bliain, déanann sé comhordú agus eagrú ar imscaradh na mílte breathnóir chun a mheas an ndéantar toghcháin i réigiún an ESCE i gcomhréir le gealltanais ESCE, oibleagáidí agus caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta eile do thoghcháin dhaonlathacha agus leis an reachtaíocht náisiúnta. Tugann a mhodheolaíocht uathúil léargas domhain ar an bpróiseas toghcháin ina iomláine. Trí thionscadail chúnaimh, cabhraíonn OIDCD le Stáit rannpháirteacha a gcreat toghcháin a fheabhsú. I measc ghníomhaíochtaí daonlathú na hOifige tá: an smacht reachta, tacaíocht reachtach, rialachas daonlathach, imirce agus saoirse gluaiseachta, agus comhionannas inscne. Cuireann OIDCD roinnt clár cúnaimh spriocdhírithe i bhfeidhm gach bliain, ag iarraidh struchtúir dhaonlathacha a fhorbairt. Cuidíonn OIDCD freisin le Stáit rannpháirteacha a n- oibleagáidí a chomhlíonadh maidir le cearta an duine agus saoirsí bunúsacha a chur chun cinn agus a chosaint i gcomhréir le gealltanais ESCE i ndáil le gné an duine. Baintear é sin amach trí oibriú le comhpháirtithe éagsúla chun comhoibriú a chothú, cumas a fhorbairt agus saineolas a sholáthar i réimsí téamacha, lena n-áirítear cearta an duine sa chomhrac i gcoinne na sceimhlitheoireachta, cosaint chearta an duine do dhaoine a ndéantar gáinneáil orthu a fheabhsú, oideachas agus oiliúint chearta an duine, faireachán agus tuairisciú ar chearta an duine, agus cearta an duine agus slándáil na mban. Laistigh de réimse na caoinfhulaingthe agus an neamh-idirdhealaithe, cuireann OIDCD tacaíocht ar fáil do na Stáit rannpháirteacha chun a bhfreagairt ar choireanna fuatha agus eachtraí ciníochais, seineafóibe, frith-Sheimíteachais agus cineálacha eile éadulaingthe a neartú. Tá gníomhaíochtaí OIDCD a bhaineann le caoinfhulaingt agus neamh- idirdhealú dírithe ar na réimsí seo a leanas: reachtaíocht; oiliúint i bhforfheidhmiú an dlí; monatóireacht, tuairisciú agus obair leantach a dhéanamh ar fhreagraí ar choireanna agus teagmhais atá spreagtha ag fuath; chomh maith le gníomhaíochtaí oideachais chun caoinfhulaingt, meas agus comhthuiscint a chur chun cinn. Cuireann OIDCD comhairle ar fáil do na Stáit rannpháirteacha maidir lena mbeartais ar na Romach agus Sintíoch. Cuireann sé forbairt acmhainní agus líonrú chun cinn i measc na bpobal Romach agus Sintíoch, agus spreagann sé rannpháirtíocht ionadaithe Romach agus Sintíoch i gcomhlachtaí déanta beartas. Déantar gach gníomhaíocht OIDCD i ndlúthcomhordú agus i ndlúthchomhar le Stáit rannpháirteacha an ESCE, institiúidí ESCE agus oibríochtaí allamuigh, chomh maith le heagraíochtaí idirnáisiúnta eile. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ar shuíomh gréasáin OIDCD ( www.osce.org/odihr ).