Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)

I thank Sinn Féin for introducing the motion. I welcome the fact that the Government is not opposing it.

Extending presidential voting rights to Irish citizens living in the North should never be seen as a radical demand. It represents a necessary and overdue recognition of the promises made in the Good Friday Agreement. That agreement was not just about ending conflict; rather, it was a commitment to a shared and equal future. It recognised that people in the North have a right to identify as Irish or British, or both, and to have that identity respected by the institutions of this island. However, respect is not just about words because it is also about access, voice and recognising Irish citizens in the North should have the same right to choose their Head of State as those living in counties Cork, Kerry or Dublin.

If we believe in a 32-county republic, as I do, we cannot pretend Irishness ends at a border. We cannot ask people in the North to believe in the republic without offering them a role in shaping it. Of course, the Presidency is largely symbolic, but symbols do matter, especially in post-conflict societies. A vote in a presidential election is not just about choosing a figurehead; it is also about stating clearly that citizens belong, that their voice counts and that their citizenship is real. This debate should go further, however, because what we are really being asked to consider is not just votes but a vision – a vision concerning the question of what it would mean to reimagine a modern, shared 32-county Irish republic, one that lives up to its word in its name. It would mean a country where public services reflect public values, where housing is not just a source of misery and a word followed by “crisis”, where healthcare is not a privilege, where schools are inclusive and where opportunity is not tied to income or background. A republic like that will not be built overnight; it will take hard choices and honest conversations in communities the length and breadth of the island. Giving citizens in the North the right to vote for the President would be one small step in this direction and would send a clear message that this island belongs to us all. I support the motion not as a gesture but as part of a wider commitment to a fairer, united Ireland – one built not on rhetoric but on rights and the daily work of making this Republic one truly worthy of that name.

Much of the conversation is about a shared island and a united Ireland. We have from previous taoisigh some interventions that I find interesting and welcome. This is a really exciting conversation. We do not have enough reimagining of what exactly a 32-county modern republic would look like. We should do more of this in this Chamber and start to work towards it. It should not be when we feel confident enough to have it. There is great potential associated with what we could achieve with the ideal of a republic. For us in the Social Democrats, it is built on institutions and public services. It is not just about the flags and symbols or who gets to vote in what way; it is about what the institutions and public services look like. This is a really exciting conversation. We have a decade of reimagining in front of us, and a decade of persuasion in some instances. Motions like this help us to keep the conversation going. It is a conversation I look forward to being involved in.

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