Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This day next week will be Christmas Day, a time when families come together to celebrate the holidays. Over the next few days many loved ones will be returning from all parts of the world to celebrate with their families. Unfortunately, some will not be able to return home and there will be many empty chairs around dinner tables next Thursday. Many of those who are unable to return hold out the hope that some day they will be able to return permanently. Many were forced to emigrate due to the economic crash, the difficult financial circumstances in which they found themselves and the years of austerity implemented not only by this Government but by previous Governments.

The sad thing is that many of the individuals who were forced to emigrate and are unable to return have no democratic stake in the future of this State. They have been denied the right to vote in presidential, general and local elections, so they are unable to vote for political parties or individuals whom they believe will create the conditions that hopefully would see them return home for good. One of the discussions at the Constitutional Convention was on the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State, and the convention voted overwhelmingly to recommend such an extension to the Government. Many people would have considered that to be the first step in a process which would eventually enable Irish citizens to vote not only in presidential elections but also in future general and local elections. Will the Tánaiste explain to the Dáil, the people who are unable to return home this Christmas and the families who are facing a holiday without a loved one at the Christmas table why the Government has decided not to implement the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention and extend voting rights to those Irish citizens?

See this speech in context