Statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs

In light of the comments being made in relation to the circulation of election material to officers serving abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to issue the following statement: While the Department has not, to date, published guidance in relation to the circulation of election material, the norm up to now has been that election material addressed to individuals was forwarded by the Department to the addressees. The Department was happy to facilitate such circulation. In the present electoral context, one political party sent material to the Department for general circulation to officers serving abroad and this material was circulated. It is our understanding that such circulation of material has been the practice in the case of members of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochana serving abroad. The Department will now review the situation with a view to deciding whether, in future, all election material should be circulated or whether this should be confined to material personally addressed to officers. The outcome of this review will be conveyed to the political parties and will be made known publicly so that all candidates for election are aware of it. Top