Don’t give diaspora a vote – they don’t live with the consequences
Having virtually destroyed local government, Enda Kenny now wants to extend his version of democracy by giving the vote on the presidency to the diaspora.
The issue has been reported as if a) it is a good thing and b) that it has widespread support. Yes, in public discourse, many politicians advocate it and the media do champion it.
However, I do not support the notion of prolonged voting rights for people who do not live here in this State.
I believe that you should live with the consequences of your vote. Dáil Éireann is not a debating society, it is the decisionmaking parliament of this State. The President is an integral part of our parliamentary process.
Those of us who live here and vote, live with the consequences of the collective vote of the people of the State.
That State consists of 26 counties of the island of Ireland. Whether people agree with the existence of that State or not is largely irrelevant – it is the factual State. The State is not the nation. There are many Irish people in many other parts of the world – including on the island of Ireland – who do not live in this State.
However, when asking people to vote in elections, we are electing members to the parliament – not the nation.
Latest estimates available show there are approximately one million Irish-born people living outside the Republic and (conservatively) a further three million approximately entitled to Irish passports.
Given that the electorate here in the State is about three-and-a-half million, allowing those living outside the State a vote would be a seriously disproportionate segment of the electorate.
I very much believe in the democratic process.
I believe in the right of immigrants of reasonable duration to have a vote in the State in which they live and believe that the truly democratic stance would be for Ireland to actively campaign for all people to have voting rights wherever they live.
Now that would be democratic. Dermot Lacey Donnybrook, Dublin 4