Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I thank all Members in the House for what was a really interesting discussion on this really important issue. Like my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, I am pleased the Government has not opposed this motion. The Dail’s engagement on diaspora matters is always welcome and it was really positive to have such good engagement today. Every day, we see the value of the sustained investment in our communities abroad. That was evident in the response of the Irish community to the Covid pandemic, a response of which we as a country should be so proud, as well as more recently during the wildfires in California and, of course, in the many zones of conflict around the world.

I saw at first hand the importance of the importance of a strong and thriving community when I visited Australia for St. Patrick's Day this year. I was in Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. We all know about the growing Irish communities in that part of the world. Many are successful and are cherishing the experiences of a new life and a new culture abroad. Others, as elsewhere in the world, have a much more challenging experience. In Australia, organisations like the Claddagh Association in Perth and the GAA are working tirelessly with those who find themselves in need of support abroad. The Government, through the emigrant support programme, has invested in the likes of the Claddagh Association since 2009. As a result, we have organisations that work in partnership with our embassy to support our seniors and those who find themselves in crisis abroad.

What I also saw in Australia was a diaspora engaged with its new home while also remaining utterly committed to this country. I met multigenerational families who have built their lives there. My own brother is an example of someone who has built his life and family abroad in Australia. So many in the diaspora are leaders in their communities and are making real contributions, be it in politics, business or the arts. I met with two ministers in Australia, both of whom have Irish connections and one of whom was born here in Dublin. They are advocates for human rights, inclusion and peace and reconciliation across the globe and we have to be willing to use their skills, access and influence in supporting our Irish both abroad and at home. In today’s challenging climate, when it is vital that we continue to diversify our markets, we are also seeing the global Irish step up and bring the experience, the knowledge and the goodwill of diasporic business networks to support the scale-up Irish of businesses in strategically important locations and sectors. For our part, we will ensure the emigrant support programme continues to invest in projects that foster a sense of community, nurture our identity and culture overseas and that deepen our trade, business and educational links.

I welcome the support and work by the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, in undertaking to deliver this new diaspora strategy. As we look to deepen our relationship with the diaspora, it is right that we continue to take on broad an inclusive definition of what it means to be part of the global Irish family. It is a community that encompasses Irish-born citizens and those whose parents or grandparents were born on the island, those with ancestral ties, as well as an affinity diaspora such as those who once lived, studied or worked here - those who hold a deep appreciation for our people and culture. It will also be important that the new strategy reach out to support those from under-represented groups such as the LGBT community, who are facing uncertainty in many countries across the world, and also to our new and mixed-race Irish and those in the Travelling community. I am so pleased to see the ongoing investment in Irish studies around the world. It is our culture among the new generation and the next generation of our diaspora and we are continuing to see a growing interest in people exploring their Irish citizenship.

Demand for foreign-birth registrations, or citizenship by descent, has increased exponentially over the past number of years. Prior to the Brexit referendum, those foreign birth registration applicants were about 5,000 to 6,000 per year, yet last year we had over 40,000 applicants and 50% of those came from Great Britain. The passport service is reviewing the foreign-birth registration application process with a view to improving the service we provide to prospective citizens, including those in our diaspora who have direct familial links through their grandparents.

The expansion of our diplomatic footprint has also provided a platform for greater engagement with our Irish away from home. Whether it is St. Patrick's Day or harnessing the spirit of St. Brigid's Day, supporting Irish business networks abroad or promoting our national games in partnership with the GAA, our embassies and consulates, and indeed our honorary consulates, play a central role in the continued renewal of a meaningful relationship with our diaspora. This engagement will be enhanced as we open new embassies in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Chișinău later this year and new consulates in Malaga and Melbourne early next year. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to our embassy teams who are working at the moment in very difficult circumstances in conflict zones. As we face greater risks from conflict and environmental challenges, our missions remain an important safety net for our citizens who are resident overseas.

There has rightly been substantial discussion this evening on Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement makes very clear that the people of Northern Ireland can identify as Irish or British or both. Article 2 of the Constitution, as amended, forms a key part of the agreement and ensures the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation. This Government and all Governments since 1998 have advocated for and defended that right. We must do so as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement and will continue to do that. There are and will continue to be differences in constitutional preference and identity. The question today is not just about identity but also about citizenship. It is about ensuring the rights of everyone on this island are respected. That is paramount to maximising the benefits of the Good Friday Agreement and moving towards a more peaceful and reconciled society.

I, too, was pleased the issue of voting rights in Irish presidential elections was debated recently in the Northern Ireland Assembly, during which a number of important aspects were touched on. Not least among these were the principals enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement regarding identity. On a practical level, however, the complexity involved in the implementation of the recommendations of the Convention on the Constitution was noted there also. I must be really clear in stating that extending voting rights in such a way would require a referendum to change the Constitution. The work undertaken by the Convention on the Constitution on voting rights and other matters was important. The issues were well researched and the discussion was mature and transparent. It is a model that others abroad now look to, and rightly so. The issue of extending the franchise for voting in presidential elections simply is not straightforward.

The detailed 2017 options paper on the matter prepared by the Department of housing, planning, community and local government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade considered a range of policy, legal and logistical matters that we need to be mindful of and that need legal consideration. These include issues around the register of electors and postal voting in particular.

This is not to say it cannot be done - it absolutely can - but it requires careful thought and preparation, as well as securing a positive result in a referendum. As the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, said in his opening remarks, the Government is not interested in holding a referendum just for the sake of a referendum. We want to hold a referendum if we are in a position to win it. That is why debates like this are so crucial. I want to reassure the Dáil that the Government takes this matter very seriously and will continue to reflect on it, and it will work cross-party to look at this issue in a lot more detail.

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