Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

We in Independent Ireland welcome this motion. This is the kind of genuine, sensible proposal that speaks to ordinary Irish people, North and South. It is a motion about fairness, inclusion and democracy, which have been missing to date from too much of the operation of our political system. The presidential election has brought that into sharp focus in recent weeks.

Independent Ireland supports the motion. We believe it is long past time that all Irish citizens on this island, whether they live in Bantry or Belfast, had the right to vote for the President of Ireland. It is ridiculous that someone born and living in the North of Ireland, an Irish citizen with an Irish passport recognised under the Good Friday Agreement, can run for President, be elected as President and be the President, but cannot vote for the President. That is madness, plain and simple. If we are serious about inclusion and recognising all Irish citizens, this wrong has to be put right. Giving people in the North the vote does not take a single thing away from anyone else. It just means that 700,000 Irish citizens living in the North, who are part of this country, finally get to take part in choosing their head of State. That is what equality looks like in practice. It is not just about the North. It is about the health of our democracy across the board.

Independent Ireland has been clear that we need a system that gets people involved, values their vote and makes it easier for good, genuine candidates to put themselves forward. We do not want a system that is locked up by the big parties or controlled by old-style political gatekeepers. The current presidential nomination process is a shambles. We saw that again recently. Only three people got through in a country of 5 million. I know people who worked their socks off to gather support and do everything right only to be blocked by a rigid system that suits the establishment. Good people, such as Maria Steen and others, put their names forward but were told, "No, thanks", before the public ever had a say. That is not democracy. That is a stitch-up.

Independent Ireland has already called for big changes to that process. We have a Bill to do that with the Bills Office, as we said we would following the recent nomination process. We want a fairer, wider system that allows Oireachtas Members, MEPs and councillors to have a role in nominating. We proposed that a number of councillors could back a candidate that would open the door to genuine competition and give the people real choice.

Another thing that must change is the age requirement. You have to be 35 to run for President. Why? If a person is old enough to vote at 18, can serve in the Defence Forces, pay taxes and contribute to society, he or she should be old enough to stand for office. As I have said previously, the age requirement should be brought down to 21 years. We need to get young people back into politics and make them feel that their voices matter and they can help to shape this country's future. Are they too young at a certain age? Let the people decide. The truth is that too many people have switched off. I fear we are, sadly, going to see one of the lowest turnouts ever in a national election this Friday.

The motion also touches on something that does not get talked about enough, which is the need for greater transparency around the Office of the President and Áras an Uachtaráin. The President does an important job.

We all respect the office. However, that does not mean it should be above scrutiny. Every other public body has to account for its spending and make public reports. Áras an Uachtaráin should be no different. Repealing the section of the Freedom of Information Act that exempts the President is the right move. The public should know what the costs are for travel, for hosting dignitaries and for refurbishments. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just good governance. When people see that their money is being used wisely it builds trust.

This motion is about fairness, transparency and the basic democratic right of our citizens. It is about saying that everyone on the island should have a choice in choosing our President. It is about breaking the grip of the old political system that keeps new candidates and fresh ideas out. It is about holding every single one of our institutions to the same standards of openness and accountability. Independent Ireland fully supports the spirit of this motion. We will work with anyone who is serious about reforming our democracy and giving power back to the people. We have been talking about these issues for years. It is now time for action. Let us see legislation brought forward within the two-year period proposed. Let us make it easier to run for President. Let us open up Áras an Uachtaráin to public scrutiny and, finally, give all Irish citizens, North and South, the right to vote for their President. That is what real democracy looks like. That is what an Ireland that respects all its people looks like.

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