Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While the focus tonight is on the Bill before the House and while this is of course an important issue, some of the commentary has tended to overlook the great strides that have been taken in advancing our diaspora policy. As the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, said, it is only a week since our first statement of policy on diaspora issues was published. I am pleased to have the document before me. It has been widely received in a positive way by countries throughout the world and by all the interested parties in Ireland as well. The document outlines some significant measures that are being taken to recognise the importance of our diaspora and these should not be overlooked in the debate about extending the franchise.

For example, communications was a key theme running through the submissions received during the consultation process for the diaspora policy. To help Irish people abroad stay in touch with home and their heritage, a new resource in the form of an online portal on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website was launched in conjunction with the policy. The portal provides signposts for Irish people and people of Irish descent and affinity to information that might be helpful to them in their lives overseas or for those thinking of coming home. The portal and a new Irish newsletter, which users can sign up for on the portal, are the first steps in improving our communications with the diaspora.

In addition, RTE recently launched a video-on-demand service for the Irish diaspora, RTE Player International. This online service will offer over 500 hours of indigenous Irish content. Users can access over 100 hours of free content, refreshed daily, and the full content offering of 500 hours will be accessible through a small monthly subscription. RTE Player International is RTE's second dedicated Irish diaspora service, following the very successful launch of GAAGO last year.

Emigration has always been a feature of the Irish experience. However, the nature of that experience has changed over the years. While previous generations departed in the knowledge that they might never see their homes or families again, today we have other means of keeping in touch. Despite this, the challenges involved in starting life in a new country are daunting and are faced by many Irish every day. We are very conscious of these challenges and are committed to keeping welfare at the heart of the Government's engagement with the diaspora. As part of the diaspora policy, a Global Irish Civic Forum will be convened in Dublin to bring together diverse organisations from around the world that are facing similar challenges but are not yet connected to each other. It will also provide a valuable opportunity to hear perspectives from the ordinary Irish emigrant. This forum will take place on 3 and 4 June of this year.

The Irish Government is in a position to assist many of these groups through emigrant support programme funding. In 2014, almost €12 million was provided to organisations supporting Irish emigrants in making the best lives possible in their countries of residence. This brings support to emigrants through the emigrant support programme to over €125 million since the programme was established in 2004.

There is also tremendous support provided from within the community to those Irish who find themselves in difficult situations, or at times of illness or bereavement. A powerful spirit of community and solidarity can be witnessed in Irish communities across the world, and our network of embassies and consulates around the world works with and alongside these communities.

The diaspora are not a homogenous group, and our new diaspora policy acknowledges this, with a range of new initiatives to help us connect with as many of the diaspora as possible. We are finalising the details of a new global media fund to support media coverage of diaspora and emigration-related experience, which will broaden our engagement with the diaspora and increase awareness of the Irish people overseas. We will build better and stronger links with alumni from Irish institutions, both Irish graduates overseas and international students who have studied here, as they have enormous potential for the institutions and for Ireland as a whole. In 2015 we will launch an alumni challenge fund to provide seed funding to new collaborative initiatives by Irish institutions to target their Irish and non-Irish graduates working internationally. We are also open to receiving proposals on how to connect with new diaspora communities to help the Irish there retain their identity. This policy will evolve. Our Global Irish portal will evolve to meet the needs of our emigrant population and the entire policy will be reviewed after two years.

Earlier today I held the first meeting of the interdepartmental group, which brings together stakeholders across the public system to ensure that our policy on the diaspora represents a joined-up, whole-of-government approach, taking account of all of the issues facing emigrants before they leave, while they are away and when they return. I am delighted that we have in place, for the first time, a comprehensive statement of our policy that is relevant to all who make up our diverse diaspora around the world - the global Irish.

The Minister of State, Deputy Nash, referred to the motion in depth. The Constitutional Convention was very strong on this issue. The Cabinet considered it and I issued a statement last week in conjunction with the publication of the diaspora policy. The line Minister is Deputy Alan Kelly. He, with the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and myself will meet immediately to discuss how we can advance the proposal. We have to look at the logistics, who is eligible to vote, where they will vote and how they will vote, which was all dealt with by the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, in his contribution. In order to get to the next stage, we have to make that consideration. We have learned with two recent referendums that if we put a referendum to the people the mechanics of which we cannot explain fully, as happened with the referendums on the Seanad and on compellability of witnesses in Dáil investigations, or if there is a doubt about it, it will be rejected by the people. We want to go to the people with what we propose being very clear.

I would also remind the House that the next presidential election is in 2018, so there is plenty of opportunity to prepare properly for it before we go to a referendum. I am on record in the House as saying I am very much in favour of extending the franchise to our citizens overseas in whatever form. However, we have to approach it very carefully and properly. As well as that, our President is a very important person. It is not just a ceremonial function. The President is head of our armed forces, for example, and signs into law all the Bills that come through this House. The President is recognised all over the world as our Head of State. When President Higgins went to the UK, for example, we saw the recognition he got. In the past, Taoisigh may have visited the UK, but a President is different and is received in a different way all over the world as our Head of State. It is a very important position, and that is something we have to consider very seriously when we are moving to a referendum of the people. The people would want to know for sure who would vote, who is on the register of electors, how that is decided on and where will they vote. That is all very important.

I welcome this opportunity to address the matter. As the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, said, the Government is not opposing this motion, which will give us an opportunity to consider not only the issue of voting but also other issues. I am open to further consideration of the diaspora policy, which, as I said, is an evolving policy. It is a work in progress and is building on the work already done by previous Governments. For example, the emigrant support programme and the Irish abroad unit, which were set up under Deputy Cowen's brother back in 2004 when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs, have proven very successful.

There are several issues apart from the voting issue, but this has obviously exercised people's minds. Among the people I have come in contact with around the world, it is an issue for some but not for all. Nonetheless, it is a very important issue for some. I can see how this would connect people back to Ireland and give them a feeling that they had a say in what was happening in Ireland. Apart from a vote in presidential elections, which requires a constitutional referendum, there is also the proposal to provide three seats in the Seanad to members of our diaspora, something I have supported in the past in this House, with one seat for the Americas, one for Europe and one for Australia and the rest of the world. There is a very strong proposal from the Irish in Britain that was sent in to the Chairman of the committee set up to look at Seanad reform, the former Senator Maurice Manning. That is a real and important consideration and, under the next Government, this could probably be done by nomination if we do not have a process in place for electing Senators directly.

In conclusion, I thank Sinn Féin for tabling the motion, which gives us all an opportunity to reflect on diaspora policy. I sincerely hope the Opposition will acknowledge that this is the first comprehensive policy that has ever been produced. I hope they would be magnanimous enough to do that and then to move on to the other challenges we have to deal with regarding our diaspora and how we communicate and connect with them.

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