Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

Where I live gives me a unique insight into the failure we have seen over the past decade. The Inishowen Peninsula has seen so many of our people emigrate, forced to go to England and the United States back in the day and more recently to Australia, Canada and the Middle East. That is the story of my peninsula and my county. Just half an hour away is Derry city, an Irish city with Irish citizens who are deeply proud of their part in our country. The Fleadh Cheoil was there a few years ago. I think of all those from the North of Ireland who have won Olympic medals such as Michael Conlan, Wayne McCullough and Paddy Barnes in boxing, Daniel Wiffen who recently won gold and bronze medals in swimming and Rhys McClenaghan, who won a gold medal. We all cheered them on. They cannot vote for their President. The Minister of State is a rugby fan. When people go to a rugby game, Ireland players stand together but some of them cannot vote for their President. Some of the international hockey team cannot vote for their President if they are from the North of Ireland. Down, Tyrone and Armagh have been down in Croke Park and won the all-Ireland on our biggest day of the year but their players cannot vote for the President. Players from clubs from the North of Ireland that won the club championships in Gaelic football, hurling and camogie cannot vote. How long will this go on? It is outrageous. We ask the Government to bring in this legislation in line with the constitutional wishes of the assembly that gathered and for our people who are forced away to allow them to have this connection to elect a President. What an exciting opportunity that would be - a President for which all Irish citizens would have a stake. That is what we are asking for.

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