Voting quandary

The Taoiseach’s announcement that he is going to hold a referendum on giving the vote to citizens abroad raises many issues.

How can he justify giving them the vote in presidential elections and withhold it for local and Dáil elections?

But to allow them to vote in all three elections could lead to the emigrant vote being greater than the resident, tax-payer vote.

The Taoiseach has indicated that those ex-pats in remote areas may be able to vote online. If this facility is to be available to non-tax-paying non-resident citizens, why am I, as a tax-paying, tax-compliant, resident citizen unable to cast my vote in local or Dáil elections if I happen to be away from home on holidays or for work reasons on the date of an election? Tom Burke, Clonsilla, Dublin 15.