Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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1692. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the models being considered in terms of extending voting rights in presidential elections to citizens abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1109/18]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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1693. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the expected date proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens abroad will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1110/18]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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1694. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has had meetings with his European and international counterparts to discuss the proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens living abroad; if he has discussed with his European and international counterparts the way in which similar policies operate in their own countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1111/18]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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1695. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens living abroad, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, will be fully costed, including the increased administrative cost and the cost of additional staff that may be required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1112/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1692 to 1695, inclusive, together.

In response to the evolving needs of Irish society and its relationship with the wider Irish diaspora, the Government agreed in March 2017 to accept in principle the main recommendation in the  that Irish citizens resident outside the State, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, should have the right to vote at Presidential elections and that a referendum would be held to amend the Constitution to give effect to this.

In order to inform public discourse on this significant policy change, an was published on 22 March 2017 by my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  This Options Paper, which is available on my Department's website at , sets out a broad range of options for the extension of voting rights, international comparisons, the estimated costs involved and related resource issues as well as many of the legal, policy and logistical challenges associated with extending voting rights to Irish citizens resident outside the State.

In particular, the Options Paper addresses:

- in section 2, the options for consideration in relation to the proposal that voting rights at presidential elections be extended to citizens resident outside the State;

- in section 6, the estimated costs and resource-related issues associated with extending the right to vote at presidential elections to citizens resident outside the State; and

- in appendix 1, the position in Europe and elsewhere with regard to voting for such citizens resident overseas.

In addition, the Options Paper provided a basis for the discussion on voting rights which took place at the second Global Irish Civic Forum in Dublin on 5 May 2017.  This second Forum attracted significant attention with more than 220 individuals, representing over 150 organisations, attending over the two day period. The discussions at the Forum will inform the Government’s decision on a preferred option to be put to the people in a referendum.

The Government announced on 26 September 2017 that it has agreed indicative dates for the holding of referendums in 2018 and 2019, subject to the timely passage of Constitution Amendment Bills by each House of the Oireachtas.  Included in the list is the proposed referendum on extending the franchise at presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State which it is intended will be held on the date of the local and European elections in June 2019.

My Department will, in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, bring forward an appropriate Constitution Amendment Bill on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State in good time for the holding of the referendum.