The question of whether Irish citizens living abroad and in Northern Ireland should be allowed to vote in presidential elections has lingered for too long in the realm of deferral and indecision. This is despite previous commitments on the matter and the importance of the office for many Irish people who live outside the State but still identify with the nation.
Only citizens ordinarily resident in the jurisdiction may vote in national elections. This excludes over a million Irish-born people living overseas and an even larger number in Northern Ireland who have a right to Irish citizenship. The rationale for this has traditionally rested on the idea that only those who live with the consequences of State policy should have a say in shaping it.
But the presidency is not a policy-making office. It is a symbolic and unifying institution, often acting as a bridge between Ireland and its global citizens. Every president since Mary Robinson has embraced that role. The office embodies not only the State but the wider idea of the Irish nation. There is a strong argument that the franchise should reflect the broader Irish family, including those who have left.
Extending voting rights to Irish citizens living north of the Border would be an act of constitutional generosity consistent with the spirit of the Belfast Agreement. It would recognise them as part of the national community without prejudicing their political preferences.
RM Block
A referendum on the issue was announced in 2017 with cross-party support. It was delayed by Brexit and then shelved during the pandemic. Since then, political will has quietly dissipated. The Government now appears unwilling to reignite the debate, despite previous commitments and strong support from diaspora organisations.
Minister of State for the Diaspora, Neale Richmond, said this week that the Government was concerned a referendum on the issue could be defeated if there was insufficient debate and consultation in advance of the vote. But it is in the Government’s own gift to start that process. It should do so without further delay.
