Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the guests and witnesses and congratulate them on their submissions. In respect of dual citizenship is it presumed that all Irish citizens abroad, in Europe, the US, Australia or wherever, would have the right to vote whether they had an Irish passport or not? The three witnesses might clarify that. If they do not have the right to vote, how would the witnesses determine who should and should not vote? These people would retain their rights to vote in their adoptive countries. How would that be affected by membership of the EU? Within the EU the presumption is that they would have the right to vote in the country in which they reside and in this country.

Ms Boylan referred to politicians from Northern Ireland having the right to participate in these Houses. How would that affect groups who might decide to abstain? Given that we are trying to give representation to a broader spectrum of Irish people would their abstention diminish their influence?

The embassy voting system proposal is quite good. It is normal that we would expect that the embassies could be used for voting abroad. I would have serious reservations about changing the method of voting based on our previous experience. A move in that direction would not necessarily be of any great benefit to the diaspora or us. I strongly urge that we avoid moving in that direction notwithstanding advances in technology and the need to modernise. The basic elements of democracy are well founded and historically tested. That they are old, or in some cases, old-fashioned, does not mean that they are out of date or no longer valid.