Mary White (Fianna Fail)

This has been my first term as a Member of the Seanad. To be elected to either House of the Oireachtas and to work for one's country is a tremendous honour.

I thank Mr. Eamonn McCormack, Ms Deirdre Lane and Ms Jody Blake. I also thank Captain Flaherty and his staff who give Members world class back-up, and the recording staff, who come into the Chamber discreetly and put our words, which are sometimes profound and sometimes more simple, into history. I thank everyone who contributed to the work of the Seanad.

We saw recently how French people living abroad may vote either by appointing a proxy or at French consulates throughout the world. Hundreds of thousands of people born in Ireland were forced to leave home to seek employment. I ask that they be allowed to vote in future elections. France has a population of more than 60 million and ours is just over 4 million. It must be possible for us to follow the exemplary example of France and organise a similar system of voting.