Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I definitely accept the proposition that the Irish nation and State are separate concepts, and that is probably to be found if one examines the text of the Constitution itself. The first part of the Constitution, covering Articles 1 to 3, inclusive, is headed "The Nation", and "The State" is the heading for Article 4 onwards, so there are different concepts at play. I am not suggesting that State and nation are the same but that I believe that some states in Europe denied women citizenship while according them nationality. I also believe that there were cases where people were deprived of their rights of citizenship while remaining nationals of that state.