The North East of England Irish Network is designed as an all-inclusive Forum for all strands and
strata of Irish Society and the Irish Diaspora in the North East of England. We aim to provide a space
(both online and in the real world) for people to meet and network with others who share an
interest in things Irish and who want to celebrate and maintain their Irish identity and Irish links. At
the same time, we will be equally mindful of the indigenous population’s identity and their similar
aims and aspirations. We will mutually support and help each other in all aspects of Business,
Professional and Working life as well as the Social, Cultural and Sporting arenas.
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In the North East of England, it is estimated that there is a community of around 250,000
people who identify as Irish or of Irish descent.
Submission to the Constitutional Convention: Electoral System
Time to Extend the Franchise to all Irish Citizens
Summary:
The recognition of universal human rights and democratic rights in a
modern democracy leads inexorably to the conclusion that all Irish citizens
who have a continuing link to their native land, regardless of their current
domicile, must be included in the body politic and must, therefore, be
granted voting rights not only in Presidential Elections but also in General
and European Elections and in National Referenda.
1. This submission endorses a new venture in participative democracy for Ireland,
ensuring that any amendments to the current system are fit for purpose in the
twenty first century and beyond. They must be adequate to cater for all aspects of
modern Irish society, cherishing all of Ireland’s children equally and inclusively, be
they currently resident, emigrant, dispossessed or disenfranchised. Our people are
now mobile on a global scale and the contribution of this dispersed segment of our
society has been and remains vital to the Irish nation and the welfare of those
remaining at home.
2. Extension of the right to vote in General, European and Presidential Elections and in
National Referenda to those Irish citizens temporarily resident abroad will be a
recognition of their human rights as well as their democratic rights. All citizens,
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wherever they are domiciled at any particular time, have a right to influence
decisions relating to the welfare of their own nation and the social and economic
path taken by its government. It could be argued that those forced to leave their
home soil have a very particular interest in how the future of their country is shaped.
3. If we emigrants (enforced or otherwise) are considered good enough to be asked to
help our country and its development, then we must also be deemed fit to exercise
some influence via the inalienable right to determine the governance of our
motherland and to help to shape its society, welfare and economy for the
generations to come.
4. Towards that end, we submit that we must have the right to vote not only for the
(largely ceremonial) President of our country but also for the politicians who wield
actual power in the Oireachtas and in the European Parliament.
5. As an aside, it is ironic that the Convention on the Constitution offered
representation to political parties in the Northern jurisdiction whilst at the same
time neglecting to seek any representation from the state’s own citizens in exile.
Given that the Convention was committed to considering the issue of votes for the
Irish abroad (at least in Presidential Elections), it is something of an anomaly that it
did not seek to include such citizens in its own membership.
6. There is, of course, a need to consider the practicalities and the mechanics of any
move to provide voting rights for Irish citizens abroad. In the current context, it will
also be vital to ensure that any such move is planned with due consideration of
economic realities. Neither of these issues need cause a critical obstacle to the
extension of democracy to this significant segment of our nation.
7. We would recommend the granting of voting rights to all emigrant citizens. This
recognises the reality that many emigrants aim to return to their native land at a
later stage of their lives, even after extended periods of working abroad. Such
citizens have not abandoned their original home and, in the modern era, often visit
regularly and keep closely in touch with developments in the political, social and
economic life of their homeland.
8. This model also resonates with the notion of a “lost generation.” Some sources have
recently suggested that a further 400,000 of our people may have left Ireland by
2020. In Le Chéile, we refuse to accept such negativity and encourage all of our
members and others to work to support employment in Ireland that will help to
reduce the need for emigration. Nevertheless, it is already the case that many
energetic and creative Irish people have already gone to seek their fortunes across
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the globe. They may live, work, settle and have families abroad and yet may hope to
return.
9. Our organisation’s view is that, ideally, all Irish citizens who have a continuing link
with their homeland should be entitled to vote in all General, European and
Presidential Elections and in all National Referenda. Potentially, they could be given
options to vote in their own original constituencies (this would have the advantage
of giving a voice to sizeable proportions of communities “forced” to leave their
native constituencies) or to be represented via additional constituencies designated
for Irish citizens abroad (this might address any underlying concerns of the remaining
resident population about undue proportions of non-resident voters in a particular
constituency).
10. The Constitutional Convention has the opportunity to recommend amendments to
the Constitution which will radically improve the democratic accountability of the
electoral system in Ireland. It should grasp the opportunity with both hands and seek
to ensure that future generations of Irish resident citizens and Irish citizens abroad
are linked in a more effective, more cohesive bond demonstrating mutual
dependence and concern rather than factional interest.
Conclusion
Le Chéile – The North East of England Irish Network suggests to the Constitutional
Convention that it should make recommendations to the Oireachtas enabling the extension
of voting rights in General, European and Presidential Elections to all Irish citizens,
regardless of their current domicile. Such an extension should be actioned forthwith, and
relevant mechanisms put in place to facilitate the exercise of those rights, if possible within
the lifetime of the current Dáil.
John J Coyne
The Mews, 12A Long Bank, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 7HE
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