Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Nevertheless, 100 years after the Proclamation we still deny that right to so many people on this island, as well as people born on the island who live in other countries. Imagine that we are almost 190 years after Catholic emancipation and 98 years after giving women the right to vote and yet we still deny votes to one in three citizens born on this island. As part of the reform process we must extend the right to vote to citizens wherever they live who claim they are part of the Irish nation. Finally, on the Irish overseas and the diaspora, I welcome the nomination of Senator Billy Lawless to this House as the diaspora Senator. The Taoiseach has made some great appointments but of them all, that nomination is important because Senator Lawless will be able to speak for the Irish overseas in the United States and throughout the world. Fianna Fáil produced the first policy paper by any political party on the Irish overseas and the diaspora. When one considers how many years this State has been in existence, the fact it took nearly 80 years for any political party to produce a policy paper specifically for the Irish overseas and the diaspora does not bode well for our treatment of them. However, I do not merely refer to the undocumented in the United States but one key area of concern must be the forgotten Irish in England who left this country in hard economic times, worked hard and sent back money to their families, friends and relations but who have now fallen on hard times themselves. They are people we must look after and I ask the Taoiseach to so do.