Dáil debates

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed)

Constitutional Convention Recommendations

4:55 pm

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The decision to progress with the marriage equality referendum was the right one. The decision to hold a referendum on lowering the age at which candidates could stand for the Presidency was wrong, as it was not the most important issue.

All of the folks who came home to vote committed an illegality by voting, yet were lauded by the Government and by me as well, of course. It is obvious that there are many citizens who are forced to live outside the State, yet who want to play their part in democratic processes here. The representation of the diaspora and of our citizens in the North is long overdue. It is in the programme for Government that Fine Gael and the Labour Party drew up and is a recommendation of the Constitutional Convention and yet the Government ignored it. I do not understand why it would do so. When we talk about this issue I am always reminded of the occasion when Tyrone was playing Armagh in an All-Ireland match in Croke Park, when Mary McAleese was the President. Neither the President nor any of the players had the right to vote, simply because they came from the northern part of the island.

I note the Taoiseach has said he will not deal with this before the general election and we do not know whether he will have a chance to deal with it after the general election. It was a wonderful opportunity. There are other elements of this. I want to refer particularly to the final report which the convention proposed in March of last year. It recommended that the Government and the Oireachtas should empower another convention to continue the work of constitutional review and reform. I note the Taoiseach said this would not happen at this point. However, as we approach the centenary of 1916, a genuine dialogue, nationally and internationally with our own diaspora, on constitutional renewal as another step on the road to unity, peace and reconciliation would be a fitting tribute to the vision of the founders and signatories of the Proclamation. I am disappointed the Taoiseach has ruled this out and I ask him to review and reconsider that proposition.

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