*Cllr Mary Howard was one of the first councillors to recieve the disturbing phone calls female councillors were subject to during the summer
THE Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is considering recommendations on whether election candidates’ addresses should continue to be published on ballot papers, following a request from Clare councillors.
A response issued on behalf of Minister James Browne, circulated to councillors ahead of the November meeting of Clare County Council, says the Department is considering recommendations made by An Coimisiún Toghcháin on the issue.
The response follows a motion brought at September’s council meeting by Cllrs Rachel Hartigan (FF), Mary Howard (FG), Rita McInerney (FF) and Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), which called for electoral legislation to be amended so candidates would not have to publish their precise residential addresses.
The councillors argued that a town, village or general locality and county should be sufficient to identify a candidate’s geographical area, amid concerns about harassment, intimidation and the safety of public representatives.
In the response, the Minister’s office outlined how current electoral legislation requires candidates’ names, addresses and occupations, where applicable, to be included on nomination papers.
For general elections, the candidate’s description, including their address, is made public outside the place where nominations are received, in the Notice of Poll and on ballot papers.
However, the Department noted that guidance issued to returning officers states that a candidate’s address does not necessarily have to be their home address and could instead refer to a place of business, such as a constituency office.
The response also referred to research carried out by An Coimisiún Toghcháin as part of its 2024-2026 research programme, which examined the rules around candidates’ addresses, including evidence relating to harassment, abuse and intimidation of political candidates.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin published a research report and a set of recommendations on the issue in December 2025.
“The Department are considering these recommendations and anticipate that any changes to electoral law in respect of this issue will have regard to An Coimisiún Toghcháin’s recommendations,” the response stated.
At September’s meeting, councillors spoke about disturbing phone calls and incidents of intimidation, with several saying that publishing their precise home addresses created unnecessary risks for themselves and their families.
Cllr Rachel Hartigan said: “Everyone doesn’t need to know the exact house an elected representative goes home to.”
