Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I take this opportunity to thank all the Members who have contributed to the debate and I thank the Minister for coming to the House for this important discussion.

I will not be able to reflect all of the contributions but I welcome the broad and comprehensive contributions, which have been very personal, given the nature of the debate. It is equally personal for me. I am not an immigrant. I live in Ireland's second city and I am glad the Minister acknowledged the unique and special status that exists for the North in this regard. If people think they have been waiting a long time from the time of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention, then we have been waiting even longer, given the Good Friday Agreement 18 years ago conferred Irish citizenship as a birthright on people like me. That is not partial citizenship, that is not second class citizenship but full Irish citizenship. I should be entitled to the same rights and qualifications as everybody else in Ireland in that regard.

I regret that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, missed my opening remarks because I was very conscious that I did not want this to be a divisive issue, I did not want to go back and forward. I respect the Minister being present in the Chamber and making a contribution. Of course, I take issue with some of the Minister's remarks.

In his opening statement the Minister stated that he was committed to doing this and that he would do it. He then told us that he could not support the motion because it is too definitive in asking simply for it to be done. All we are asking for is a timeframe. We are asking that the Minister will make a commitment as Minister that he will not allow this not to be done by a date in the future because people should not have to wait to enjoy the equality, rights and entitlements of Irish citizens. Nobody is denying that logistical problems will arise for the Minister and his departmental officials. We appreciate that and what we want to try to do is to light a fire under people's negligence in regard to this matter thus far.

I wish to refer again to a quotation from the former Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan, who wrote to the Taoiseach:

However, against this, and now that the conversation has begun, a decision by the Government not to take forward the recommendation of the Constitutional Convention would have a disproportionately negative impact.

The issue of voting rights is of enormous importance to many Irish citizens abroad. [...] If I spend much of that time defending a Government decision not to respond positively to the recommendation of the Constitutional Convention, I will be working with one hand tied behind my back.

In terms of Diaspora policy, it is my strong view that it would be seen as a major step forward to put this issue to a referendum.

So much like the former Minister of State, Jimmy Deenihan, indicated to the Taoiseach, we are merely asking to give people their say. They had their say in respect of the Good Friday Agreement and they voted overwhelmingly in favour of recognising the rights and entitlements as fellow Irish citizens in that regard.

I am not reflecting on all aspects of the contributions. I took heart from much of what fellow Senators said. We have had issues around the Constitutional Convention. In fact, the Leader of the Seanad told me a few weeks ago that this matter was not binding; that the Executive did not have to do anything, that it was just a recommendation. I do not know that politicians would take such a definitive approach to such a broad recommendation from the Constitutional Convention which overwhelmingly supported extending the franchise to all Irish citizens. I do not think it would take that approach to the issue of marriage equality. Of course, the Constitutional Convention paved the way for that and rightly so because we all recognise that was an issue of equality, rights and entitlement. We certainly did not take it or delay it in relation to the abolition of the Seanad and a referendum on that matter went to the public very quickly. There was no such long fingering, or need to tease it out. It is almost 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement and this issue has not been rectified.

The Minister made a point on ideology. My ideology is Irish republican and Irish republicanism is about extending rights and equality to people. This is not a party political argument, this is an argument which stretches as the Constitutional Convention identified right across the political spectrum, particularly in the North and when parties go overseas to the diaspora, as Senator Coffey outlined, they tell them that they will stand up for the diaspora and wrap the green flag around them because we have their backs. However, when they have the opportunity to do something for the diaspora, they fall at the first hurdle.

At least the Fine Gael Party has outlined its position. It has stated its position and we must respect it. I am immeasurably disappointed at the decision from the Fianna Fáil Party not to support this motion because it is 100% in line with Fianna Fáil Party policy. I need to get it clear in my head just what exactly the trajectory here has been. I will offer an imaginative one, did the Minister phone Deputy Barry Cowen, did Deputy Cowen then phone Deputy Michael Martin and did Deputy Martin then phone the Seanad team and tell them not to vote for this Sinn Féin motion? If that is not making party politics out of this issue, I do not know what is.