BY ROBERT MULHERN
GROWING support for an Irish vote abroad is re-emerging in Ireland, Britain and America. Politicians, newspapers and community groups have now added their voice to a debate, which was reignited at a Global Economic Forum in Dublin last September.
Buoyed by the recession and emigration, the issue of how to harness the Diaspora was pored over by economists, business people and politicians in both London and Dublin in recent months.
And a very real desire to impact on Ireland’s future has again become an issue with Irish people at home and abroad.
Independent politicians Finian McGrath TD and Senator Joe O’Toole this week echoed calls made by the Irish in America and organisations such as The National University of Ireland club in London (NUI Club) who all want a greater say for the Irish abroad.
McGrath said: “The main obstacle is fear but (the issue) is very relevant in the current economic climate. The downturn has meant that Ireland is looking to its people abroad and I always was and am a strong supporter of this.”
The re-emergence of the issue has punctuated Irish media in recent weeks and Ray O’Hanlon, editor of The Irish Echo in New York, said: “It’s very much a live issue — it went away because of prosperity, but we have noticed a re-emergence of the issue — there is a stirring, and we’ll be following this story closely — it’s a very serious question about the rights of citizens who live outside of Ireland.”
As it stands, NUI graduates abroad are entitled to elect three senators to The Seanad in Ireland.
Senator Joe O’Toole currently holds one of those seats and speaking to The Irish Post he said: “I think there should be a constituency for the Irish abroad. I think there is a controlled way for Irish emigrants to have a vote in Ireland.
The German, the Americans and the Italians all have a vote abroad — this isn’t the third secret of Fatima — this is something that sensible people have been talking about for a long time.
“But once we get back on track the (Irish) Government will forget about those who emigrated.”
Aiden Cooney is part of the NUI club in London and said the long-term vision of the organisation would be to represent the wider views of all Irish people in London within the Seanad.
“There is a constituency waiting to happen over here,” he said. “We’ve over 500 members at the moment and our goal would be to make a common awareness that could be tapped into by the Irish community.”
Liam O’Cuinneagáin of Irish language and cultural group Oideas Gael was previously involved in the campaign in the 1980s and ’90s, however he said the offer of a Senate seat for the Irish abroad was lost when the Celtic Tiger found Ireland.
He said: “It was on the cards but then prominent people moved back to Ireland and others wanted a full vote in The Dáil (instead). We were close then and it’s become an issue now because emigration has started again.”
O’Cuinneagáin echoed the views of Finian McGrath who believes an Irish vote abroad should be included in the 2011 Presidential campaign.