Petition for the Rights of all Citizens to Vote in Presidential Elections

**DannyInvincible** · 16/04/2017, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by osarusan

5 million new passports is 400 million quid.

Plus say....a 'diaspora voters register' with registration fees of 50 quid. Another 250 million.

Shrewd.

Some specific figures here... According to the Irish Times, the Irish government earned nearly �50 million from issuing 733,060 passport last year, although the passport service cost about �30 million to operate: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irela...exit-1.3050540

Originally Posted by Gordon Deegan

Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs issued 733,060 passports which represented a 9 per cent increase on 2015 and the projected one million passport applications follows last year�s Census confirming that Ireland has a population of 4.76 million.

The number of passports issued earned the Department of Foreign Affairs �46.74 million.

Last year, it cost the Department �31.63 million to operate the passport service. This included the Department employing 233 temporary clerical officers and this was an increase of 62 compared to 2015.

**backstothewall** · 16/04/2017, 10:58 AM

What's the felling on 2018? how likely is Michael D Higgins go for a second term? Will there even be an election?

**BonnieShels** · 20/04/2017, 12:17 AM

A president can nominate themselves for the presidency. Traditionally if that happens there is no contest as a President is given a free reign to take a second term.

Given Mick's universal appeal it would be brain dead for anyone to consider running against him. I hope he does choose a second term given the undesirable possibility of who else may go for it... ahem... Bertie.

Plus...

**BonnieShels** · 20/04/2017, 12:21 AM

And this:

**NeverFeltBetter** · 20/04/2017, 8:32 AM

Certainly, none of the big three parties would send a candidate against Higgins. I would wonder if the hard-left would coalesce around a candidate though, not out of any genuine expectation of winning but to advance their agenda on a national stage in such a contest. I remember there was some displeasure from them towards Higgins over the Water Charges Bill, nonsensical or no.

Probably won't be quite as varied as 2011 anyway.

**BonnieShels** · 20/04/2017, 8:37 AM

Meaning 2025 (or more likely sooner given Higgins will be 85 come that election and may pass on before then if he took a second term), will be an absolute sh1tshow like 2011, 1997 and 1990. Eugh.

**backstothewall** · 20/04/2017, 10:18 PM

If nordies get a vote at a future election Niall � Donnghaile is very well placed for a run (if it's something he is interested in - with the boundary changes due in the north he could well be an MLA for Belfast South-East by then).

No one is more associated with extending the franchise to the north than him. Makes sense that SF might put him forward.

**backstothewall** · 20/04/2017, 11:31 PM

Or we could take inspiration from the US and find an Irish version of Trump

Not sure if that would be Michael O'Leary or Joe Brolly.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 21/04/2017, 7:59 AM

I did see some headline a few weeks ago about Brolly and the Presidency. Quite possibly a WUM exercise.

**DannyInvincible** · 21/04/2017, 8:07 AM

Originally Posted by backstothewall

Or we could take inspiration from the US and find an Irish version of Trump

Not sure if that would be Michael O'Leary or Joe Brolly.

Ah, Joe's alright. O'Leary, on the other hand, may well be a sociopath.

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

I did see some headline a few weeks ago about Brolly and the Presidency. Quite possibly a WUM exercise.

He was on talking about "somebody having to do something" about the state of the country with Ivan Yates on Newstalk the other week, but I thought he was humouring Yates when he suggested he himself might be the man to do it via the presidency. Maybe not... Who knows?

**CraftyToePoke** · 22/04/2017, 2:37 AM

Its grand as it is lads, Higgins ticks many boxes, including a lazy stereotype in us having actually elected the closest thing we have to a leprechaun to represent us on the world stage.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 22/04/2017, 11:24 AM

I vaguely recall Higgins saying he would only serve one term during the 2011 campaign but since rowing back to a "No comment" position. I'm sure he wouldn't want to turn out like Dev's second term, but if he feels his health is up for it, then why not?

**BonnieShels** · 22/04/2017, 2:35 PM

He most definitely said he would only serve one term.

Is there merit in making the presidential term 5 years and making it maximum of 3 terms so that you get a similar length but also don't commit people for such a long time and give us Dev or McAleese situations.

**Eminence Grise** · 22/04/2017, 7:10 PM

There's an argument to be made for cutting the term down to 5 years, though I'm sure critics would point to the unimportance of the role and the increased costs over time with the shorter electoral cycle. I'd favour 2 x 5 years, tbh. 15 years is too much, and it's nigh-on impossible to unseat an incumbent, even a poor one.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 22/04/2017, 11:50 PM

I'd be happy with one single 7 year term.

**DannyInvincible** · 01/10/2017, 5:08 PM

A referendum on the right of all Irish citizens - both at home and abroad - to vote in presidential elections has been provisionally set for June of 2019 (subject to passage of bills by the houses of the Oireachtas and formal confirmation of the polling date): http://irishpost.co.uk/date-announce...ial-elections/

**dahamsta** · 02/10/2017, 7:10 AM

If you want to vote here, live here.

**Real ale Madrid** · 02/10/2017, 8:21 AM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

If you want to vote here, live here.

Including Irish Passport holders North of the Border?

**nigel-harps1954** · 02/10/2017, 8:28 AM

Don't all Irish citizens already have the right to vote here provided they have some form of Irish address? I don't see any issue with leaving things the way it is. At the same time, I couldn't care less who votes in a presidential election as it's probably the most pointless position for anyone to hold in Ireland.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 02/10/2017, 9:09 AM

I believe you have to be living here continuously for a certain period of time to legally vote. In practice, it means very little, as most emigrants are still on the register under their last Irish address, and can easily return home and vote in any election if the need takes them. I don't think there's any serious effort to stop such things. I know a few people who voted in the SSM election who came home from Britain, who probably voted illegally under the letter of the law.

I think the idea of this vote - beyond being a largely meaningless sop to the diaspora - is that people living abroad can postal vote legitimately or something.

Edit: I'm also with Stu on this one, and think representation in elections should be tied to residency and contribution to the state, with acknowledgement of obvious exceptions.