H.E. Mr. Vidmantas Purlys:

I am delighted to have the opportunity to address the committee and I thank members for inviting me. In regard to voting rights, all Lithuanian citizens living abroad are entitled to vote in presidential, parliamentary and European elections. We will be holding presidential elections on 11 May and all Lithuanian citizens residing in Ireland will be able to cast their vote in the embassy, which is the single balloting point. During the last parliamentary elections in 2012, more than 2,000 citizens cast their votes in Ireland. That is, of course, a fraction of the estimated 70,000 who live here. These 2,000 active citizens used their constitutional right to vote in elections. There is no electronic voting; the ballots are on paper. Ireland is the second largest constituency after the UK in terms of those turning up for elections. The US is the third largest constituency for Lithuanian citizens.