Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister of State's work on reciprocal driving licenses. I know he is committed to it, so I thank him for that. Sinn Féin has long called for the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to all on the island. It is about equality and shared identity as Irish people. In 2013, the constitutional convention recommended that Irish citizens living outside the State should have the right to vote in presidential elections. Since then, there have been repeated calls and efforts to make this a reality. Sinn Féin introduced legislation in the Dáil in 2015 to enact this change, reflecting widespread political support and the clear will of ordinary citizens, yet despite these commitments, successive Governments have repeatedly delayed action. This has left Irish citizens in the North once again feeling abandoned by the Government in the South.

We all know that someone in the North can stand for election as President of Ireland. If they can run for office, then it is only fair that they should have the right to vote in presidential elections. This is about equality and recognising those in the North that identify as Irish. Next weekend we have the All-Ireland football quarter-finals. Players from two of those teams, Armagh and Tyrone, are not able to vote in the presidential election, yet all those players are as Irish as anyone here.

Multiple Bills have been introduced to amend the Constitution and extend voting rights, but they have lapsed, first in January 2020 and then in November 2024, due to dissolution of the Dáil and political inaction. Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said last week he hoped Irish citizens around the world, including in the North, would be able to vote in presidential elections in seven years' time. Let us make that happen. Speaking to Irish News last week, Leo Varadkar also said that a 50%+1 majority is enough for the reunification of Ireland. It is time for the Irish Government to set up a citizens' assembly on unity and help plan a referendum. We all look forward to the unification of our country.

The recent vote on the issue by Stormont was a watershed moment. As a result, the Government must act now and the presidential election later this year should be the last that excludes some Irish citizens across our Thirty-two Counties from voting.

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