Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)

In just two days some Irish citizens will exercise their right to vote and I strongly encourage people to come out in large numbers to exercise that right. Unfortunately the right is not universal. The right of Irish citizens to vote on Friday stops an hour up the road. Citizens in the North can win an All-Ireland, play for Ireland, stand in a presidential election and even be elected to the office but unfortunately they cannot vote in this election. The election on Friday must be the last presidential election where citizens in the North cannot vote. As an Irish republican my hope for the next presidential election will be that it is held in a united Ireland free from partition and outside interference.

The President of Ireland, Uachtarán na hÉireann, is a President for the whole of Ireland. The role of the Irish President does not exclude people in the North. We have seen the President play a very positive role in reaching out to those citizens living in the North and indeed to the unionist community. Irish unity is firmly on the agenda and the debate has started. Despite the best efforts of some people in government, the public, the media, cultural groups, businesses and ordinary people are discussing what a new and united Ireland would look like. Part of the process of dismantling partition must include extending voting rights to Irish citizens on this island. This is about equality, recognition and democratic participation.

Sinn Féin fully supports the holding of a referendum to extend voting rights to Irish citizens living in the North. We have introduced motions in the Dáil looking to extend voting rights to all Irish citizens in the previous three Dáileanna and in this one earlier this year. Momentum for this constitutional change is growing. In June Sinn Féin tabled a Private Members’ Bill calling on the Dáil to implement the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution and to extend voting rights in presidential elections to Irish citizens on the island of Ireland. The Bill also called on the Dáil to progress proposals that would extend voting rights in presidential elections to the diaspora. In May the Assembly the voted for the extension of voting rights to Irish citizens in the North of Ireland. This was a very strong cross-party message affirming the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

Some 12 years have passed since the constitutional convention voted overwhelmingly in support of extending voting rights to Irish citizens living in the North and abroad. The Government is clearly behind the curve on this and is indeed the main barrier to this. Fianna Fáil dropped its commitment to extend voting rights to all Irish citizens from its election manifesto. It has rapidly moved from being Fianna Fáil: the Republican Party to Fianna Fáil: the partitionist party. It continues to abandon those who have been forced to live under British rule 90 miles up the road. Sinn Féin spelt it out in black and white in our recent manifesto. We promised to "Hold a referendum within the lifetime of the next Dáil for a referendum on voting rights in Presidential elections for the people of the North and of the diaspora". It is a matter of injustice and a violation of democracy that Irish people in the Six Counties are excluded from voting for their Uachtarán. Whatever the outcome of Friday’s election we must ensure this is the last time Irish citizens anywhere are excluded from this democratic process. I hope people vote with their feet on Friday and come out in large numbers to make their voices heard.

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