Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the weekend of 28 and 29 September 2013, the Constitutional Convention held its sixth plenary meeting to discuss presidential voting rights for citizens resident outside the State at Irish embassies or otherwise. The convention considered a huge volume of submissions from members of the public and heard presentations from experienced academic and legal experts. Advocacy groups of the Irish communities in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the United States of America also participated and contributed. The session on the North of Ireland also heard a number of detailed insights from convention members from the Stormont Assembly, including Martin McGuinness and other contributors from across the North. The result of the ballot vote at the end of the meeting was that a clear majority of 78% of convention members favoured a change to the Constitution to give citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in presidential elections.

On voting rights being extended to citizens in the North, a clear majority of 73% was in favour. Indeed, even President Michael D. Higgins stated during his own election campaign that voting rights should be extended to those living abroad. In a speech at the London Irish Centre, he said members of the diaspora had made "a central contribution to the development of our country", and that their voices should be heard at the polls. He suggested that people already on the electoral register should be able to vote in "some or all of our elections" for five or ten years after leaving Ireland.

The right to vote in presidential elections should be extended to general elections as well. More than 106 other states, including Italy, Australia, the USA, the Dominican Republic and Ghana, allow their citizens an overseas vote. Britain actively encourages its citizens to vote from overseas. These states not only correctly realise political engagement is essential if they intend to benefit economically from their diaspora, but also recognise that emigrants continue to be citizens of their nations and deserve to have a say in the directions taken. Our Government, in contrast, seems to distrust emigrants. There is no impetus or willingness to give citizens voting rights in general elections either. Could that be because the Government fears the huge numbers forced to emigrate from our shores might not vote favourably for those implementing the very policies that forced them to leave? Something will have to give sooner or later. Today's Irish abroad, especially the younger generation, are too politically aware to continue accepting that their voices remain unheard while most other EU nations are allowed theirs.

The reality is that emigrant voting is now an international democratic norm. The Government must face up to this reality and facilitate political participation for all citizens. Despite the convention recommending that the Government would legislate and hold a referendum on presidential voting rights for all citizens resident outside the State, the Government has failed to bring any report to the Dáil and Seanad in this regard. It is not good enough for the Taoiseach to say now that the issue of presidential voting rights is for the next Government to address.

It is ludicrous that the system does not allow for citizens in the North to participate in presidential elections. As a former holder of the Office of President, Ms Mary McAleese was eligible to stand for election as President to represent all the people of Ireland, yet remains unable to vote in any presidential election since leaving office. This is a monumental contradiction which requires constitutional change. On 3 March last, following public consultation, the Government launched a new global diaspora policy, which fails to address the issue of presidential voting rights in a substantive manner and does not instil confidence that the issue will be addressed.

Jennie McShannon of Irish in Britain, which represents more than 100 Irish community and voluntary organisations across the United Kingdom, stated that not allowing emigrants who had moved abroad to look for work to vote amounted to "disenfranchisement which ought to end." Ms McShannon added:

We want to play our part, make a difference. So many have such a real stake, including houses and families here at home. If citizenship means anything in a democracy, it means the right for all adults to vote.

The chairwoman of the Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad campaign, Mary Hickman, speaking to the Constitutional Convention in 2013, stated that while a vote for Irish citizens abroad in presidential elections would be welcome, emigrant citizens should also be given a say in Dáil elections. She added:

This issue of emigrant citizens voting in general elections isn't going to go away. It is the avenue, the gateway, for a far better balanced relationship between the Irish nation and its diaspora.

It is time the Government moved forward on both issues.

See this speech in context