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

I welcome the ambassadors. The Danish ambassador referred to the need for change of the Danish constitution. Is there any appetite for this in Denmark? I note the statement that freedom of movement for citizens is a fundamental right in the European Union. The guidance issued by the European Commission refers to the right to vote as one of the fundamental rights of citizenship and its being part of the fabric of democracy. It also states that depriving citizens of their vote once they move to another country is tantamount to punishing citizens for having exercised their free movement and that such practices risk making them second-class citizens. That is a very strong statement. Is there any appetite for change on the back of the Commission recommendation?

In Ireland, the Constitutional Convention has made some recommendations around this issue. Even travelling abroad can interfere with an Irish person's ability to vote. What is the position for people travelling abroad from Spain, Denmark, Cyprus and Estonia on the day of election? Is there a facility in place in those countries for citizens to vote on that day? What structures aside from e-voting are available in this regard? Our system is very rigid. It is difficult to even provide for postal votes for people resident in nursing homes.

Many of the difficulties in this area have arisen out of a fear of fraud. Have Cyprus, Spain, Denmark and Estonia experienced similar fears and, if so, how have they overcome them? Mr. Martinson outlined the steps people had to go through in Estonia. Did the other countries experience similar difficulties?

When a citizen turns up at an embassy abroad, what identification is required to prove entitlement to vote? Would a voting card suffice or would a passport or similar be required? Another issue for Ireland is that of logistics. Is people turning up at embassies a huge logistical issue? One or two of the witnesses gave statistics earlier in regard to the number of people involved and stated that the number is ever-increasing. Is that the pattern for all of the countries?

In Ireland, EU citizens have the right to vote in some local or European elections. Is there a similar facility available in Spain, Denmark, Cyprus and Estonia?