Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider extending the right to vote in EU and Dáil elections to non-EU immigrants who have been given leave to remain here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30810/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Subject to age and residency requirements, a person's citizenship determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to to vote, as follows: all non-citizens are entitled to vote at local elections, non-citizens who are citizens of EU Member States are entitled, in addition, to vote at European Parliament elections, British citizens may vote in Dail, European Parliament and local elections. While no agreements are currently in place, electoral law provides that citizens of other EU Member States, with whom Ireland may enter into an agreement to allow each other's citizens to vote in their respective National Parliaments, are also entitled to vote in Dail elections, and Irish Citizens alone are entitled to vote in Presidential elections and referendums. While electoral law is subject to ongoing review I have no proposals at present to extend the current arrangements for voting by non-citizens.