Presidential voting rights in the North
Deputy McDonald pressed the Government to act on extending presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the North after a Northern Assembly vote in favour. The Taoiseach said the matter would likely require a referendum and said it would be revisited.
Last week, the Northern Assembly voted in favour of a motion to extend presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the North. This sends a powerful democratic message that Irish citizens in the North must be allowed to vote for their first citizen, for their Uachtarán. For more than a decade, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have promised to make this happen. It has been contained in programmes for Government since 2016, but these commitments have not been honoured. The Assembly vote is a watershed moment, and I believe the Government now needs to act with urgency. November's election for President must be the last presidential election that excludes Irish citizens north of the Border from voting. On Thursday, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, agreed that these rights should be extended. He said that he would engage with the Taoiseach on a Government timeline to make this happen. Has that engagement happened and what is the timeline?
Comment on this
No, it has not happened since the Deputy raised it last week. There has been a lot happening in the past week. The extension of voting rights for Irish citizens overseas is a complex and technical matter because that was the subject of the Bill originally.
Comment on this
In the North. We are not talking about overseas.
Comment on this
It is my understanding that it would require a referendum to change the Constitution, but we will come back to the Deputy.
Comment on this
I have a Bill if all the leaders of the parties want to sign it.