Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Nash's proposal.

There was an incredible turn of events in this Chamber last week. For over a week, Fianna Fáil led us to believe that its Senators would support a Sinn Féin motion urging the Government to fulfil the call of the Constitutional Convention to hold a referendum to change the Constitution and allow people from the North and the Irish diaspora to vote in the next presidential election, which is due to 2018. I thank the Senators who supported the motion, particularly Senator Lawless who explicitly supported it. There was great expectation that this nationally, and indeed internationally, important issue would be supported and that the motion would be carried, but at the 11th hour the leadership of Fianna Fáil dramatically changed its position and supported Fine Gael's amendment which, at best, delays the constitutional referendum and, at worst, buries it until after 2018. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, said on the one hand that it is a priority for the Government but, on the other, that he could not foresee any movement until 2019, three years from now. That would be five years after the recommendation being made by the Constitutional Convention. What is the delay? The Government could sort out this matter in the morning. However, there is a lack of will to do so, and this must change.

Tens of thousands of people across the North and similar numbers across the world are keen to vote for the President in 2018. What does the Government say to these people? What does Fianna Fáil say to them? What has Fianna Fáil to say to its supporters after doing a U-turn on supporting this? I spoke to many Fianna Fáil activists over the weekend and they could not believe what the party had done in not supporting the motion. Why has Fianna Fáil ditched its party policy on this crucial issue? Last week was a missed opportunity. However, all is not lost. I call on the Government to change course on this matter and I call on Fianna Fáil to revert to supporting the right of people in the North and in the diaspora to vote in presidential elections. I call on the people to organise in support of the campaign to have voting rights in presidential elections extended to people in the North and in the Irish diaspora. The relevance of this House to Irish citizens in the North and abroad will be judged on how sincere Members are about prioritising presidential voting rights for Irish citizens, regardless of where they live. Make no mistake - the battle for equalisation of Irish citizenship will continue.