This day next week will be Christmas Day, a time when families come together to celebrate the holidays. Over the next few days many loved ones will be returning from all parts of the world to celebrate with their families. Unfortunately, some will not be able to return home and there will be many empty chairs around dinner tables next Thursday. Many of those who are unable to return hold out the hope that some day they will be able to return permanently. Many were forced to emigrate due to the economic crash, the difficult financial circumstances in which they found themselves and the years of austerity implemented not only by this Government but by previous Governments.

The sad thing is that many of the individuals who were forced to emigrate and are unable to return have no democratic stake in the future of this State. They have been denied the right to vote in presidential, general and local elections, so they are unable to vote for political parties or individuals whom they believe will create the conditions that hopefully would see them return home for good. One of the discussions at the Constitutional Convention was on the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State, and the convention voted overwhelmingly to recommend such an extension to the Government. Many people would have considered that to be the first step in a process which would eventually enable Irish citizens to vote not only in presidential elections but also in future general and local elections. Will the Tánaiste explain to the Dáil, the people who are unable to return home this Christmas and the families who are facing a holiday without a loved one at the Christmas table why the Government has decided not to implement the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention and extend voting rights to those Irish citizens?

We are all delighted to see people coming home to Ireland from across the world. The good news is that, due to the expansion in employment here, for many people it might well be the first step towards what we hope is a permanent return home for those who wish it, after having spent time abroad and probably having gained extremely valuable experience for building a career in Ireland. I notice that in the course of the last year none of the Opposition parties has raised issues relating to the economy or employment-----

Where has the Tánaiste been?

-----but due to the strength of the growth in employment, unemployment has fallen.

There have been only 43,000 new jobs since this Government took office. I got the figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The Deputy referred to the catastrophic fall in the economy. I am happy to inform him that the latest figures show that unemployment has fallen below 11% and is now at 10.7%. Thankfully, it is now well below the eurozone average.

It is above the EU average.

When this Government took office, unemployment was up to 40% above the eurozone average.

However, Christmas is all about families coming home.

As Deputies will be aware, No. 38 on the Order Paper provides for the Dáil to discuss the fourth report of the Constitutional Convention. The Government takes the work of the convention very seriously. As the Taoiseach said, at our recent meeting a decision was made to put before the people, in late spring or early summer next year, two constitutional questions put forward by the convention. One is on marriage equality, while the other is on the age qualification of presidential election candidates.

There is not one on Irish Water.

The Government has been working through a menu of the very important proposals brought forward by the Constitutional Convention. There will be an opportunity for the Deputy and others from his party to bring forward proposals on the work of the convention.

While I cannot speak for other Opposition parties, Sinn Féin Members have consistently raised the issue of the state of the economy.

We have not heard it.

Then the Government has not been listening.

That is the problem; it will not listen.

That is the problem. It only hears what it chooses to hear.

If the Tánaiste wishes to set aside time to discuss the economic situation, she will not be short of Opposition speakers.

We could bring them in on Christmas Eve.

The Deputy should be careful what he wishes for.

While the two referendums are on important issues, marriage equality and lowering the age limit for those who wish to stand in presidential elections, a number of issues were discussed at the Constitutional Convention. Does the Tánasite believe it would be right to extend voting rights to Irish citizens who have been forced to emigrate and are living in America, Australia, Britain and across Europe? Should we give them the opportunity to have a stake in the formation of future Governments which will create the economic conditions, jobs and infrastructure to enable them to return home for good? Every job created is welcome; we will not belittle any job creation.

Sinn Féin trades in misery.

However, we are not creating enough jobs.

Sinn Féin's economic policies would drive them out of the country.

The number of people who have been forced to emigrate as a result of the financial crash and the continuing implementation of austerity by this and previous Governments means that it will be a very long time before they will have an opportunity to return home. Does the Tánaiste agree with her colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Diaspora, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, who, before visiting the United States last year, said he saw no reason we could not extend voting rights to those living outside the State in order that they could play a constructive, democratic role in electing future Governments?

We put the matter to the Constitutional Convention.

The Deputy may not be aware that the proposal that a constitutional convention be established was originally put forward by the Labour Party in opposition and adopted by the Government as part of its programme.

It is another unfulfilled promise.

I do not recall Sinn Féin putting forward any systematic proposal to review, in detail, various constitutional issues through the work of a randomly selected group of citizens who would come and give their view. When we took office, some of the highest levels of emigration had occurred after the economy had collapsed under the previous Government. Thanks to the Government, we can see that very difficult trend for families around the country begin to change.

What about voting rights? The Tánaiste is not answering the question. She is waffling.

I do not know whether the Deputy is aware that there is a huge amount of recruitment in Ireland and, in case people abroad are listening, I want to use the opportunity provided by the Deputy's question and positive comments about emigrants to say when people are at home, a job may be available to them in Ireland.

Hear, hear.

I would like that message to be sent. I would like emigrants to return and vote in Ireland.

The Tánaiste did not answer the question.

She did not answer. This is Leaders' Questions and answers.

The Government is working through the different proposals of the Constitutional Convention. I am glad that the Deputy recognises that the two referendum proposals to be put to the people are important. It is the judgment of the Government that it is appropriate that the two proposals selected be put before the people next year. Many very important proposals have been put to the people, including the referendum on children's rights. Our experience shows that we need to give each referendum matter time and that it should be the subject of very detailed discussion.

The Deputy asked about voting rights for the diaspora.

Another Labour Party policy has been scrapped.