Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I listened with interest to the Taoiseach's comments during his visit to the United States last week. I welcome his remarks in respect of the plight of the undocumented Irish citizens in the US. I also noted in Philadelphia the Taoiseach announced the Government would hold a long-overdue referendum in respect of voting rights in presidential elections. As the Taoiseach is aware, we have been pressing him and his colleagues for some time to allow citizens in the North and in the diaspora to have a vote in presidential elections. The Taoiseach is also aware the Constitutional Convention proposed in September 2013, quite some time ago, that such a referendum should be held. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs also made such a recommendation. Having made the announcement in Philadelphia that the referendum would be brought forward, could the Taoiseach tell us today when the legislation to allow for the referendum will come before the Dáil?

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