Mr. Mark Bassett:

The options paper sets out a number of options for the scope of any extended franchise. The one we would be most in favour of is the simplest and most consistent with the recommendations of the convention, which is that all citizens, regardless of their place of residence, should contribute the election of the President. That is a first modest step. The Constitutional Convention did not address further voting rights, but that is something one would hope would follow afterwards.

In regard to postal voting, it is correct that it is a very restrictive system. Proxy voting and postal voting seem to be motivated by a desire to protect the integrity of the election. If postal voting is to be employed for citizens outside of the State, it would be a good thing if there was a greater extension of postal voting within the State. Other states make much greater use of postal voting. It is not seen to undermine the integrity of those elections.

My principal concern with Irish electoral law does not centre on fraud. Rather, it is exclusion. A very large number of Irish citizens outside the State cannot contribute. That has to be addressed through the greater availability of postal voting or some measure of posting in person in locations outside the State.