Emigrant Voting Rights TO Be Debated At Convention

The upcoming Constitutional Convention will debate the issue of voting rights for emigrants Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has confirmed.

Speaking on a special online edition of Morning Ireland about and for the Irish overseas, Mr Gilmore said the debate would be limited to presidential elections.

Mr Gilmore has said that a way will have to be found to give recognition to the Irish abroad, and in particular to recent emigrants.

The convention will also discuss if any such agreement would extend to granting emigrants the right to vote in elections here.

Campaigners say any Irish citizen living overseas should be entitled to vote in Ireland, opponents however say the sheer numbers involved could distort domestic election results and that there should be no representation without taxation.

Mr Gilmore said that aside from the sheer numbers, there were other practical issues around how it could work, given that Ireland has embassies in only 54 countries.

(H)