Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister. I concur with one of the points the Minister made on logistics. The Government should consider the British model which defines a timeframe. British citizens living abroad who have registered to vote in the past 15 years may apply to vote overseas unless they were too young at the time and if so they can register at the electoral registration office where their parent was registered. For instance, in Ireland it might be possible to allow a seven or ten-year period for the person to prove he or she was on the register of electors in Kilkenny, Carlow, Limerick or wherever and after a fixed period of five years, for example, their eligibility to vote in Irish elections would be established. I would not necessarily advocate extending the franchise for every election, but the presidency would be a starting point given that the President symbolises not only the citizens of the State who live here, but more important those citizens who, unfortunately, are not lucky enough to live here at the moment and the greater diaspora. I welcome the Minister's comments and the Government's commitment to establish the constitutional convention.

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