The Constitutional Convention recommended that the right to vote in presidential elections should be extended to citizens of the North and to members of the diaspora, the people who were forced out of this country by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments.

Get over last week, Gerry.

This morning, councillors from four of the largest councils in the North, that is, councillors from Mid Ulster District Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, all of which support this position, took part in a protest outside the Dáil at the Government's deliberate long-fingering of this issue. Last Thursday, An tUachtarán held a ceremony for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad. I was delighted to attend, especially for Drogheda man Brendan Fay, who has worked tirelessly for equality, and for others who have done our nation proud through their service.

Michael D. reminded us that the journeys of the Irish emigrants are testimony to the creativity and resilience of all who have left our shores over previous centuries. He told us that the emigrants live fulfilling lives in their respective countries, but remain true to, and proud of, their Irish heritage. However, they cannot vote in this country, unlike the case with citizens of other states. A few weeks ago Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael voted against a Sinn Féin proposal in the Seanad to allow such voting. The Minister of State said that an options paper is being prepared. When will this options paper be published and will the Government allocate time for it to be debated in the Dáil? Why has the Taoiseach changed his position on this issue? He told me previously that citizens of the diaspora and the North would be given voting rights.

I saw Deputy Adams in Áras an Uachtaráin and he is quite familiar with Uachtarán na hÉireann. I am not sure that it is appropriate for the Deputy to refer to him just by his first name in the Dáil. I believe the Uachtarán would like to be referred to with his official title, which is Uachtarán na hÉireann, and not as the Deputy referred to him.

This matter was the subject of discussion at the Cabinet sub-committee a few days ago. We have a Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, the second person to hold that position, and obviously we have a great deal of interest in this issue.

In reality, it boils down to the question of citizenship and how we deal with the definition of that in the context of the law that already exists and how that should be determined for those who would vote. Clearly, on that basis, the citizens of Northern Ireland would be eligible to vote in a presidential election. This matter is being worked on and I will return to it in mid-January for an update on a number of questions that I have raised about this.