Referendum Vote

[pete]

Hows foot.ie gonna vote on firday...or not...?

[tiktok]

I'm probably going to vote Yes, although I'm not certain yet.

The argument which was made to me over the weekend that we'll deny someone born in the country citizenship at the same time as we bend over backwards to give an eighteen year old Scot a passport because he can put a football in the net pretty much stopped me in my tracks.

I do believe that the current system needs looking at, but I'm just not sure that the alternative offered is what the country needs either.

As usual the government have done a slap up job in getting information on the vote out to the masses

[Peadar]

As usual the government have done a slap up job in getting information on the vote out to the masses

The Referendum Commission are responsible for providing information, not the government. Every member of the electorate should have this information by now.

[tiktok]

fair enough, then the referendum commision have done a poor job

[tetsujin1979]

I really do want to vote NO because I think that everyone born in Ireland should be eligible for an Irish passport. However, the amount of people that are taking advantage of the situation means I will be voting YES. If you have a genuine desire to stay in the country and qualify for a passport then it's not going to change anything for you.

[ger121]

Got to be a no vote for me. I feel anybody born here has the right to citizenship however i don't believe in abusing the system. However I feel that this referendum is to extreme. According to the Government one of your perents has got to be resident here for 3 of the preceding 4 years. However the Referendum Commision say that one of your parents has got to be an Irish citizen as stated below:

People born in the island of Ireland after the constitutional amendment takes effect will not have a constitutional right to be Irish citizens, unless, at the time of their birth, one of their parents is an Irish citizen or is entitled to be an Irish citizen.

Therefore in affect the Government is lying as basically you have to be born to an Irish Citizen therefore anybody not (and this applies to all countries ) with an Irish parent will not be entitled to Citizenship. That to me is wrong and is why I'm voting no.

[Dodge]

has McDowell any figures for the ampunt of Irish born children of non-national parents?

Does he ****... He's basing this referendum on anecdotal evidence and reacting to the shabby, practically rascist, tabloid journalism that forces this issue.

[WeAreRovers]

However, the amount of people that are taking advantage of the situation means I will be voting YES.

Exactly how many? Come on, tell us. Not one Yes campaigner has come up with a figure. Right wing scaremongering is all I've heard so far.

Even if there were thousands of such births every year (which there aren't) it wouldn't be a good enough reason to fundamentally change our definition of Irish citizenship.

KOH

[WeAreRovers]

So far, I just haven't heard any reason for not changing it.

So far I haven't heard any reason for changing it. Surely it's up to the proposers of the amendment to provide reasons for change and not the other way around?

KOH

[Eric]

The argument which was made to me over the weekend that we'll deny someone born in the country citizenship at the same time as we bend over backwards to give an eighteen year old Scot a passport because he can put a football in the net pretty much stopped me in my tracks.

If he does get an Irish passport it'll be because either his mother or father is Irish and there's no other way he can get one. Don't know how exactly he qualifies to play for us but think it's his grandparents which means he won't get an Irish passport.

I've a postal vote so I've cast my vote already

[Beavis]

They should have decided on what amendment will be made if there is a YES vote before the referendum.I don't want to vote YES and have some drastic legistation brought in which I don't agree with.If I've been misinformed I open to correction..

[lopez]

If he does get an Irish passport it'll be because either his mother or father is Irish and there's no other way he can get one. Don't know how exactly he qualifies to play for us but think it's his grandparents which means he won't get an Irish passport.

He can have an Irish passport with Irish-born grandparents (my kids all have Irish passports) and Irish parents born abroad. You just have to have a foreign birth's certificate (around €70). This will also, so I was told by a consulate official, ensure that if my grandchildren are born outside Ireland with a foreign other parent, they too if they, or their parents wish, can have Irish citizenship.

As for the change in citizenship law, as long as residents are entitled to obtain citizenship after a reasonable period then what's the problem? This law has been in operation in Britain for 20 years and is simply bringing Ireland into line with the rest of Europe. As far as I'm concerned it merely pinpoints that a person is primarily a product of his/her parents not the bed he/she was dropped onto.

[brendy_éire]

The Govt won't admit it, but this is all because of EU pressure. It creates problems when other states attempt to deport parents with a child holding an EU passport.

It's pointless to vote no, the referendum will just be held again and again until it's a yes vote. It's called capitalist democracy.

[corkharps]

It wasn't that long ago that you could buy an Irish passport,wheres Albert these days anyway?

[Macy]

The Govt won't admit it, but this is all because of EU pressure. It creates problems when other states attempt to deport parents with a child holding an EU passport.

For EU, read British. It's all about the Chang Case. So all the yes voters are basically endorsing an amendment proposed by the British.