Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I might tease that out. There will be an election in 2018, so those who are eligible to vote now will be eligible to vote in it even if, for example, I went to live in New York. If a Government decision was taken on the options paper to the effect that people who held an Irish passport would be eligible to vote, the general consensus is that only those who are interested in voting will register to do so. It is an opt-in system rather than one in which everyone who is eligible for citizenship is on a register. To get on the register, one needs to register. To do that, one needs to be eligible for citizenship. The thinking is that the numbers will be small. If I lived in New York and wanted to vote in 2018, would it not be possible at this stage to put in place an administrative paper-based system that would allow me, through the consulates, to register to vote and to set up a postal vote, as we do for our Defence Forces and diplomats, thereby amending the current system?