Start a votes for emigrant campaign?

[sauntersplash]

That's a strange thing to say. I guess none of your family have had to emigrate and are now strangers to you? On top of that presumably making them feel in any way connected with the country they left is a complete no-no?

I have two siblings and both of them emigrated almost a decade ago.

A country isn't a feeling. It is an economic and administrative object.

[Equinox]

It is quite the norm in other countries to give their diaspora the vote. After all, the President is the symbol of all things, and people Irish. A vote would give the emigrants a sense of still belonging and being part of their native country.

God not this nonsense again. It may be quite the norm in some countries, but none of these countries have a diaspora so bloody large that their vote could wildly skew the result of an election. I think the prospect of large numbers of people that don't have to live with the consequences of any particular vote deciding the result for those that do is an appalling vista.

[statsman]

Apart from the actual cost of setting up the ballot boxes, what is the tax take being spent on?

See my last. It's all state expenditure.

[kkkkkkkkkk]

They pay no taxes here; they have no right to decide who or what we spend our tax take on.

very narrow minded statement

thinking about the cost but forgetting the value is not good

this is Irish hot headed thinking at work

think longterm

[statsman]

God not this nonsense again. It may be quite the norm in some countries, but none of these countries have a diaspora so bloody large that their vote could wildly skew the result of an election. I think the prospect of large numbers of people that don't have to live with the consequences of any particular vote deciding the result for those that do is an appalling vista.

This is it in a nutshell.

[The Caped Cod]

They would be deciding who gets the salary/house/expenses/pension: all paid for from the tax take.

How so? If they are only voting on Constitutional referenda then they are voting on the core ideology of the state. Nothing more.

[The Caped Cod]

See my last. It's all state expenditure.

Crossed posts. Didn't see your last post before I posted mine.

The emabsseys are already in place. No extra cost. They have government staff already, no extra cost. What would the actual cost be?

[sauntersplash]

very narrow minded statement

thinking about the cost but forgetting the value is not good

What value? What is this value you refer to? Is it shillelagh shaped? Does it have a buckle on it's hat?

[West-Cork]

I have two siblings and both of them emigrated almost a decade ago.

A country isn't a feeling. It is an economic and administrative object.

Out of interest do you have any thoughts about the concept of patriotism?

[Des Quirell]

Would the Emigrants pay some of their taxes here?

Tying the right to vote to whether or not one pays tax is a very slippery slope. Can you not see where it would lead? No vote for the unemployed? Extra votes for higher-paying taxpayers?

Whatever, I live in Paris and I pay some taxes in Ireland (paid without availing of public services).

I'm registered to vote in France and once voted in Ireland in a French election. The Alliance Française was the venue.

It's pretty standard in other countries too. I resent that I don't have the vote any more.