Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I am sorry if someone has taken that implication from what I said, but we have heard likewise from the other side of the House as well. The problems are unchanged. There is no difficulty with having ongoing and regular debates if they are entered into in the right tone and with the common approach the issue needs, especially with regard to criminality in the Border region.

I want to raise the issue of the right of Irish citizens living abroad to vote in our elections. This weekend we saw the phenomenal sight of thousands of Polish people participating in a Polish general election. The circumstances in Poland may be different from those in Ireland in that the nature of Polish emigration could be temporary. Polish people who come to the UK and Ireland may want to return to Poland as soon as possible. Irish emigration may be more permanent and there might be a distortion in the figures in electing a Government as a result of the number of Irish citizens living abroad. However, we need to debate whether Irish citizens living abroad should be allowed vote for our Head of State or whether they should vote on issues related to the Constitution which affects all Irish citizens wherever they live. The Seanad would be a good Chamber for such a debate.

I have no difficulty with the call for a debate on the economy in the context of the budget. The projections made by the Fianna Fáil Party in the general election were matched exactly by Fine Gael and the Labour Party.