Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith linn agus tá mé i gcónaí sásta an t-ábhar seo a phlé. We know that the bulk of parties in the State, as their stated party policy, support the extension of the franchise in presidential elections to citizens who are resident outside the State. In September 2013 the Constitutional Convention voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal to extend that vote. In March 2017, the then Taoiseach, at an announcement in Philadelphia over the course of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, said that the Government would move forward with plans to hold this referendum. A number of dates announced by the Government in the last Oireachtas term, which were much welcomed by campaign groups in the North and overseas, had to be moved around. We were told this was because of Brexit. While there was much disappointment around that, in the heat of the climate we were in at the time, people understood and were prepared to give the Government that space and latitude. That cannot be an excuse, however, and I use that term carefully, in perpetuity.

The draft referendum Bill was published towards the end of the last Oireachtas term and a significant amount of work and research has been done by Department officials, and indeed by the Government, in preparing for this referendum. Given that it is included as a commitment in the programme for Government, at this point the onus is on the Government to actually firm up a date and to settle on a date that we can work to. We understand that we have a load of work to do to build a positive and inclusive representative campaign that celebrates our citizenship, that includes those of us who are citizens in the North, and that seeks to affirm Article 2 of the Constitution in order that we connect with, celebrate and appreciate the international community of Irish citizens around the world, many of whom are now more connected in the modern age with home and with what happens here than ever. I look forward to hopefully a positive update from the Minister of State, and more importantly again I look forward to working with all colleagues across these Houses and outside to ensure that when we get this referendum it is won and won decisively.