Results 1,021-1,040 of 1,072,949 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Barry Cowen OR speaker:Bríd Smith) in 'Committee meetings'

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Ken O'Flynn: I thank my colleagues in the Sinn Féin Party who brought this motion forward. It is almost a carbon copy of the motion that was brought forward by my colleague in Aontú, a motion co-signed by Independent Ireland. I thank Aontú for bringing that motion before the House in recent weeks. There is merit in tonight's motion. The reality is that there are a number of...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Brian Stanley: I welcome this motion, as somebody who passionately believes in the national reunification, not unification, but reunification of the national territory. It is an important step forward and it is long overdue. There has been foot-dragging on this and we need a timeline for progress. National reunification is important. All parties nominally sign up to it. I believe we should do better...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Can I get the clock stopped for a minute to clarify something? I assumed we were letting Deputy Tóibín have his slot ahead of us and that we were sharing our own slot, which was six minutes each.

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Brian Stanley: We have six minutes each.

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

John McGuinness: Yes. I will look after the clock. Go ahead.

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. It is brief and to the point. I have no problem with implementing the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution, which was quite some time ago now, for all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland. I have no difficulty with that. To follow on from my colleague, Deputy Stanley, it is not in the programme for...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Gary Gannon: I thank Sinn Féin for introducing the motion. I welcome the fact that the Government is not opposing it. Extending presidential voting rights to Irish citizens living in the North should never be seen as a radical demand. It represents a necessary and overdue recognition of the promises made in the Good Friday Agreement. That agreement was not just about ending conflict; rather,...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank Sinn Féin for introducing this motion. The Social Democrats will support it. Democracy is something we must strive to keep in a world where we see it being eroded and erased. Voting in elections is fundamental to democracy. The decision to extend voting rights to people has been a battle, particularly for women, over the past 100 years. Last year was a bumper year of...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

John McGuinness: By arrangement, I call Deputy Tóibín.

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Peadar Tóibín: I thank Deputies Brian Stanley and Catherine Connolly for their flexibility on speaking slots. I am delighted to speak on the motion. Often, we focus on the urgent issues, which are very important for sure, but forget about the important issues that pertain to this country and its development. Shockingly, an Irish citizen in the North can stand for election as President, campaign for...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Sinéad Gibney: I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. Molaim Sinn Féin as ucht an rúin seo a chur os comhair na Dála. Caithfimid, i gcomhthéacs an ullmhaithe d’athrú bunreachtúil, smaoineamh anois faoin gcaoi a bhfuil muid ag caitheamh le saoránaigh na hÉireann ó Thuaidh. We in the Social Democrats support the extension of the...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Pat Buckley: Presidential voting rights for all citizens of Ireland has always been high on the agenda for Sinn Féin. We strongly believe all Irish citizens resident on the island of Ireland should have the right to vote in our presidential elections. The President represents all the people of Ireland and it is only right that all citizens on this island be allowed to vote for their first citizen,...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Donna McGettigan: Everyone in this House opposes partition, or at least they pay lip service to that position. Partition was a disaster for our country and the sooner it is ended, the better. That is the viewpoint from which we should approach this debate on presidential voting rights. Irish citizens are denied the right to vote for the President simply because they live in the North. This seriously...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: I think it is the first time I have addressed the Minister of State in the Chamber. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him the best of luck with it. The Labour Party has long supported the extension of the voting franchise. We feel it goes to the heart of our democracy. I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion, which we will support. Many proposals on voting rights,...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Mary Lou McDonald: We are not splitting the atom either.

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh: More than a decade ago, a citizens' assembly gave a clear recommendation to change the Constitution to give citizens outside the State the right to vote in presidential elections. Tugadh comhartha soiléir. Vótáil 78% de bhaill an choinbhinsiúin ar son cearta a thabhairt d'Éireannaigh atá ina gcónaí lasmuigh den Sé Chontae is Fiche. Sinn...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Johnny Mythen: I am delighted the Government is not opposing this motion. I thank my party for bringing this motion to extend voting rights in presidential elections to all citizens on the island of Ireland and to progress that same right to our diaspora, often aptly referred to as the children of the far-flung, as in the book by Geraldine O'Connell. I believe citizenship should have no borders. Once a...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Johnny Guirke: I welcome the Minister of State's work on reciprocal driving licenses. I know he is committed to it, so I thank him for that. Sinn Féin has long called for the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to all on the island. It is about equality and shared identity as Irish people. In 2013, the constitutional convention recommended that Irish citizens living outside the...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: The constitutional convention met in 2013 to consider the issue of voting rights for citizens living outside outside this State. A clear majority backed voting rights for citizens in presidential elections. Sinn Féin first tabled legislation to give effect to this recommendation in 2014. The Bill passed First and Second Stages and we have retabled it in every Dáil since. A...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Louis O'Hara: The office of President is one of great symbolism and standing and our President is the representative of all the Irish people on the international stage. The Good Friday Agreement recognises the birthright of the people of the North of Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish, British or both, while the Irish diaspora around the world were and continue to be a driving force...