Jimmy Harte (Labour)

If the debate takes place in the context of an all-Ireland vote for a presidential election, people in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth should be able to vote in areas that have a direct effect on funding for Northern Ireland. What happens in Derry and Tyrone impacts on Donegal, while what happens in Newry impacts on Dundalk. That is why I think it is easy to say we all want a vote.

I take particular umbrage with the Northern Ireland Minister, Conor Murphy, saying that we should change our Constitution. A Minister from another government is telling us to change our Constitution, but I do not think we would be telling the British to change their laws. Conor Murphy may have overstepped the line there, so he should withdraw the remark that we should change our Constitution to suit him. If he wants to vote here, he can register as a voter and live here, but we do not change our laws. A Minister in another government should not be telling us how our Constitution should be framed. If the debate takes place, it should be all-inclusive and not one-way traffic.