Jimmy Harte (Labour)

It is a fact and we can move on from the issue but I wanted to point it out.

On the question of extending the Irish presidential franchise throughout the world, I do not know how many potential Irish citizens are across the globe. In America, some 30 million people claim Irish descent. Extending it throughout the world might amount to 60 million people. No one living in Ireland would have a hope in hell of getting elected as President if some lobby group in the US decided to stand a candidate. They could raise 1 million or 2 million votes for the candidate and it is a potentially dangerous situation.

The motion does not consider the many thousands of people who pay tax and are living in this country but who are not Irish citizens. They are from European countries and they have a bigger role in the future of Ireland than some guy living in California or the Bronx, who might have no interest in Ireland apart from running around on St. Patrick's Day with a hat on.