Results 161-180 of 1,123,856 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Chris Andrews8 OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Chris Andrews6 OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Martin Kenny)

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

Pat Buckley: I welcome our witnesses. I have been considering this issue for a long time. There is a massive Irish diaspora living across the world. I can only speak for myself, but the minute your foot steps outside this country, you become more patriotic. It does not matter where you are on holidays. You become more patriotic and it is as simple as that. In its response, the Department mentioned...

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

Pat Buckley: Is that people who are still Irish passport holders living abroad?

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)

Martin Browne: Citizens abroad are interested in this. We spoke about this earlier in a private meeting.

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

Martin Browne: Brazilians in their thousands voted here a couple of months ago. At the minute, Americans are voting in their election.

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)

Martin Browne: The opening statement mentions that the Irish diaspora stay connected to their homeland through their parents and family. Some of them have property. Do our guests think granting this voting right would increase that interest and connection with Ireland overall?

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

Martin Browne: If they are making decisions, that will have an impact.

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

Martin Browne: Yes, they can vote by proxy now.

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

Martin Browne: People can nominate someone else to vote in their place. It is called a proxy vote.

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

Martin Browne: Before the petitioners go any further, I wish to let them know about the permanent postal or proxy vote. To apply for a permanent postal or proxy vote, one must have a valid reason. It includes the following: illness or disability, being away from home for education reasons, and being away from home for reasons of work or employment. That is the system in Northern Ireland for nominating a...

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

Martin Browne: In Northern Ireland, the proxy vote applies to the general public even. I could nominate a family member or somebody in the community-----

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

Martin Browne: Yes.

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

Martin Browne: That is the postal vote for Defence Forces personnel who are out of the country.

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

Martin Browne: It is crazy in that if Martha and I were outside the country at the same time, and I were on holidays and she on business, she could vote while I would not be able to do so. It makes no sense. If you can vote when out of the country for work, why should you not be able to vote if you are out of the country on holiday. There is no difference.

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

Martin Browne: Given the way in which hacking is occurring, do the petitioners believe Internet voting is the safest way to proceed? There is a big possibility of hacking, as we saw in the HSE and elsewhere.