Results 121-140 of 1,144,419 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Pat Buckley)

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: As I said, people feel more patriotic the minute they step outside the country than they do when they come in.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: That is a valid point. One would imagine, Chair, this would be a commonsense approach. If people still have their Irish passport with a reference number on it, that is a true identity document. Surely these people still have their PPS number as well. They should be able to vote online or go to the nearest embassy in whatever country they are in.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: It is because they will not-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: There is a lack of political will. It would involve amending the Electoral Act 1963. I have just marked it in my notes to flag the matter. We can see whether that can be changed. As out guests have said, the digital age is so advanced now that I cannot see major costs being incurred.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: People would log on to a Government website.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: People in Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand or wherever could log on to MyGovID, type in their PPS number and passport number, show their ID and cast their vote.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: There is no politics at this committee. It is very good. On the response from the Department, reference was made to using MyGovID. It is a matter of putting another line in with a box, with, say, five names-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: In March 2017, the then Department of local government and housing and the Department of Foreign Affairs produced an options paper setting out what they called the broad range of options. Options are ideas and solutions but what got me were the references to voting rights, international comparisons, estimated costs and related resource issues, as well as legal, policy, administrative and...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: They listed all the problems and said they did not really want what was proposed.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: It is a good step.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: Pandora's box has been opened.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: We are live on TV.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: Does Ms Nolan know where she is going after this committee meeting?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: No, just to say that it is opening the door. The witnesses have done that now. They have opened the conversation again. This is a people's forum here. We are probably talking weeks when there will be a change of government. I would encourage the witnesses to come back because a petitions committee will be formed after a new Dáil. It has been trialled. Some places have disagreed...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: The website is there already.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: We have enough of an IT gang on in this country who are so well-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: Definitely. Thanks a million to the witnesses for that. I hope they enjoyed their few minutes live on TV.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: The witnesses have opened that already by even coming in here. We have heard no argument for disagreement with it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: I agree with that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (17 Oct 2024)

Pat Buckley: There is a fairly comprehensive response from Cork County Council's chief executives, and I thank them for that. It is unfortunate but the correspondence states, "Given the ongoing dispute before the Courts concerning the right of way", so obviously they cannot comment.