Dr. Adrian Kavanagh:

Yes. There are many people still on the electoral register who fit that category in Ireland. The Northern Ireland case is interesting and it relates to the low turnout issue. If voting rights are extended to the Irish diaspora, they must also be extended to people in Northern Ireland. That may sort out the problem of low turnout in elections in that case. My answer is "Yes," and these are same rules which would apply to Irish citizens in Estonia. It is one issue on which I will give a strong "Yes".

Deputy Byrne asked another interesting question on whether we should do this incrementally if we go down this route. I suspect legal perspectives may be required. If Ireland decides to respond to the European Union, or if, as I suspect, the EU forces the issue five or ten years down the line, would it be okay to start by just extending voting rights to Irish citizens in Europe? It is an interesting point and I do not really have the legal expertise required to answer. My personal view is that if and when voting rights are extended, it should be done for Irish citizens outside the European Union in the interest of fairness. That applies whether the citizens live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia or the United States of America.