Votes for Irish abroad and those of Irish descent

[Crusty Burke]

The easy way around that would be to give the vote to any Irish Citizen who had been on the Live Voter's register at any time over say 20 years. That way you eliminate second generation Irish and Irish citizens resident in NI.

Having said that, why not create a panel of senators to represent the Irish in NI as well?

I think a long hard look at the existing "vocational panel" setup of the Seanad needs to be taken anyway. Most "vocational" senators seem to be failed Dail candidates from the major parties anyway.

[THR]

A more preferable development would be that countries allowed also non-citizen residents to vote in the national elections rather than that countries allowed their ex-pats to vote in the nationla elections. After all, parliaments make laws which do not concern those who live outside those countries were they are made.

It is a difficult issue as no country allows any non-citizen to vote in its national elections while the practices of different countries vary as to the right of ex-pats to vote. There may indeed be people who are totally disenfranchised in every country.

[eurocrat]

The real reason why non-resident Irish don't get the vote is that would enfranchise 1,000,000 or so Norhtern Irish nationalists.

Yup thats the reason basically. I think I brought that up when this was mentioned before. We couldn't give a vote to an Irish citizen living in London and not give one to someone living in Newry.

Having said that, it would be possible for Erasmus students (technically) to avail of a postal vote. The ballot will be posted to your home place. Get your mother to post it to Germany and than post it back. As an Eramus students you would still be registered in your home university and the admin staff there would still have to sign the document for you.

I am not sure if this 100% legal.

[NeilW]

It is a difficult issue as no country allows any non-citizen to vote in its national elections

Ireland and the UK each allow each others citizens to vote in their national elections. In addition the UK allows a long list of other countries the right to vote in national elections (all Commenwealth nations I believe) though in only some of those cases is the right reciprocal.