00:00So you can be a champion of all Ireland and yet be prevented from voting for the
00:05President of Ireland. You can also be a candidate for the Office of President but
00:11if you reside in Derry, as did Martin McGuinness, you're not allowed a vote. You
00:16can even win the election and become President of Ireland but because you're
00:21from Belfast, as was President Mary McAleese, you're barred from voting for
00:27yourself. Citizens from all corners of Ireland who emigrated, many from
00:32generations who left due to economic turmoil in search of work, young people
00:37today forced out because of the housing crisis, they love their country. They have
00:43a stake in its future but they too are denied their vote for President. I
00:48suppose where I live gives me a unique insight into the failure that we've seen
00:53over the last decade. The Inishown Peninsula has seen so many of our people
01:00emigrate, forced to go to England, the United States back in the day, more
01:06recently to Australia, Canada and to the Middle East. And that's the story of my
01:18peninsula, my county, but just half an hour away is Derry City. And that's an Irish
01:23city. Irish citizens deeply proud of their part in our country. There was a flag
01:31call there a few years ago. I think of all of those who've won Olympic medals from
01:36the north of Ireland. You know, boxing medals, Michael Conlon, Wayne McCullough, Paddy Barnes,
01:42recently, Daniel Wiffen in swimming, gold medal, bronze medal, Rhys McLenahan, gold medal. We all
01:49cheered them on. But they can't vote for their president.
01:52The good Friday Agreement confirmed the right of Irish citizens to everybody on the island of Ireland.
02:00And we've had candidates from the north, we've had Martin McGuinness, an excellent candidate,
02:07The Good Friday Agreement confirmed the right of Irish citizens to everybody on the island of Ireland.
02:16And we've had candidates from the north.
02:19We've had Martin McGuinness, an excellent candidate from the six counties.
02:24We've had Mary McAleese, the president here, done a good job also.
02:28And was very open in her outlook and in her approach and very inclusive.
02:33But they can't, they don't have the right to vote for themselves, their families can't vote for them.
02:39The communities they come from, they refuse that right.
02:41But we can't blame the British government on this one.
02:44This is our job here.
02:46The solution is here in this building, Minister.
02:49The solution is here in this room and in government buildings.
02:52And indeed, it's beyond ironic that we can elect somebody as president, as we all know, and it's been said so many times.
02:58Former President Mary McAleese and indeed other candidates from Northern Ireland.
03:03Martin McGuinness and they couldn't vote for themselves.
03:07I mean, it's just unacceptable, given the Good Friday Agreement from 1988.
03:11It goes against the principle of equality.
03:13And it really allows us to continue speaking out of both sides of our mouth in relation to Northern Ireland.
03:19I've gone up there quite a number of times in the past while in relation to the Irish language.
03:23Up to Cairn Tucker in County Donegal, up to Belfast, did a tour of all the Irish facilities.
03:29And actually, the strongest emotional feeling I had crossing over was that we had literally cut off our right arm in terms of Northern Ireland.
03:38And it is time to have a realistic timescale for United Ireland.
03:42And this is the first thing out on the run.
03:46And many, many people like him.
03:48And we salute him for the freedom that they have.
03:50And the pity that we wouldn't be able to do it all at the time.
03:53And he opposed the treaty.
03:54I think it was a bad job as well.
03:56And we have that situation in Ireland today.
03:59I am disappointed, of course, that the old custom here, or not old custom, it's a semi-new custom, has come in here where governments, with a motion like this, they don't decide to oppose it.
04:12And they acquiesce and allow it to go forward.
04:15But that's as far as it gets.
04:16It's left on a shelf in gathering dust.
04:19And that is not a good idea.
04:22The agreed motion, people think they've got somewhere, but you haven't.
04:25As we know, Deputy, our former President McAleese, and the late Madam McGuinness, both who were born and raised in Northern Ireland, stood for election for the Office of Presidency.
04:38And indeed, Deputy, President McAleese served two terms.
04:43And, you know, it has to be drastically today that a citizen living in Northern Ireland can stand for election here.
04:51But yet, the same citizen or person can't vote in the presidential election here.
04:57And we need to examine that.
05:00And I think maybe we could put our toe on the water with the presidential election and see how, what kind of an appetite, there is an order for people to participate in the electoral democracy down here.
05:12I want to win this debate.
05:13I want to win this debate because it's the right thing to do.
05:16And we can win it.
05:18We absolutely can win it.
05:19But much like a question on unification, it's not simply about naming the date.
05:24It's about formulating a campaign.
05:26It's presenting a very, very clear question to the people that will show, if you vote for this, this is what happens.
05:33This is how people are going to be facilitated to vote.
05:35This is how we're going to capture the citizens abroad.
05:37This is how Deputy McDonnell is trying to be collegiate and work on a positive agreement here on this.
05:42This is how we can work together to get this delivered.
05:45We're not opposing this motion and we are committing tonight to work with all members of this House, of all parties and none, to deliver this.
