Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will not go down the road of speaking about where the electronic voting machines are currently being stored.

Cuirim fáilte riomh Ms. Barbara Nolan agus Ms Eimear Ní Bhroin. I wish to raise a number of issues. The first decision we need to make is on the importance of the issue. The representatives said they would separate consideration of the issue and that their recommendation is that this would apply within the European Union, but even as EU citizens, how important is our access to a vote? That is the key question in regard to the issue. Is it important, very important or vital that people are allowed access to a vote? If we accept that access to a vote is an individual's basic right, and in recent years we have come to the conclusion that even those in prison should be allowed access to a vote, why should we not allow people who, through no fault of their own, are not living on the island of Ireland or who cannot get to a polling station in their constituency on the day of the election? I would argue that Ireland is unique because approximately 70 million people view themselves as coming from Ireland. Our history of people having been forced to emigrate in itself makes us different in this regard. That is the reason the State should be more flexible in this regard. I believe also that the crisis we have been through in recent years and the fact that one person has left Ireland every six minutes is another reason those individuals who, through no fault of their own, have been forced to leave our shores, like previous generations, should be given that opportunity. Why have we not come to the conclusion that we should allow these people to vote? One reason is that many of them probably feel very annoyed about the Government they left behind or the conditions that forced them into that position. There has always been a view that if we gave a vote to those living abroad they might vote one way or the other. The body politic protects itself and does not want to introduce change in that regard.

Sinn Féin launched its own document today, Moving Forward Together: A Vision for the Global Irish Diaspora, in which there is reference to the presidential election. In the Dáil today Sinn Féin will put forward a Bill proposing an amendment of the Constitution to allow people access to a vote in the presidential election. It is putting it up to the Government and all the parties in this House, because if we are all saying we agree with this issue, what is the next step? The Constitutional Convention has suggested that we take this step forward. Therefore, the next logical move is for Government and Opposition parties to come together - they have come together regarding the Constitutional Convention but also with regard to this House - and take on this issue.

The presidential election should be a first step. We also must examine other elections, including Dáil elections, and we are talking about reform of the Seanad. I raise these issues because I believe Ireland is unique. Other countries do not have the same number of emigrants compared to the number who have left our shores over the years. There is a need for us to reach out to those people. We are quick to seek their support in times of difficulty but in times of plenty we tend to forget them. There is a need for us to examine that issue.

I welcome the fact that the Commission is examining this issue, but the fact that it is non-binding does not mean we are off the hook, so to speak, in respect of it. The representatives should be saying it is vital for our citizens, whether inside or outside the European Union, that they have access to the vote.