Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)

Democracy in evolutionary terms is one of the real achievements of mankind. By definition it is a form of government in which all people have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Freedom and equality have long been identified as two of its central characteristics. These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to legislative processes. In a true democracy it should be fair to say that every individual should be afforded the necessary opportunity and support to reach the fullest of their potential. It is a fundamental part of how we as a society, a people and a nation engage with one another.

The sacrifice so many have made through the years for the right to democratic rights should be in our thoughts today. When considering the significance of democracy in the context of Ireland and its history, it is impossible not to remember the vision the founders had for this country in the early decades of the last century and the sacrifices they made. The 1916 Proclamation and the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil were visionary documents ahead of their time. The democratic values of liberty, equality and justice for all were core tenets of both. The Democratic Programme declared that the wealth of the nation, including that of its soil and natural resources, was to be the wealth of the people. Public rights, the right to work, the right to shelter, the rights of the sick and the elderly as well as the rights of children were to be paramount. This was to be a democratic republic with its people at its heart.

It also declared that the nation's sovereignty extended not only to all men, but to the women of the nation also. This at a time when many countries did not afford women the right to vote. As a female Member, I could not pass this opportunity without making mention of the groundbreaking contribution of Countess Markievicz. When she took her seat in the First Dáil in 1919, women had only just won the right to vote. That right was granted in 1918 and only to those over 30 years of age. She holds the record as the first woman ever elected to the British Parliament and, on her appointment as Minister for Labour in the First Dáil, she became the first female Cabinet member in western Europe. Countess Markievicz set the standard for the rest of us to follow.

Unfortunately, only approximately 5% of all seats in the Oireachtas have been filled by women in the period since 1918. The Government intends to introduce proposals in an attempt to address this issue. Sinn Féin will play a positive and constructive role in the debate and a full role in encouraging more women to participate in the democratic process in order to deliver a truly representative democracy.

Indeed, Sinn Féin continues to call for the fullest possible participation in the democratic process by everybody on this island and beyond. We could all show our support for a truly participative and representative democracy in the upcoming presidential election. Irish citizens living in the Six Counties and those forced to emigrate due to this and previous economic crises, not to mention the broad Irish diaspora, will not be afforded the opportunity to elect their President. They should have just as much right as the Minister of State or I to choose our next President. The point has already been made publicly that President McAleese, had she been living in her home town of Belfast, could not have voted for herself. This is an administrative anomaly that other progressive democracies have overcome. We should do likewise.

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