The Government has indicated it will not block Aontú’s proposed legislation aimed at expanding voting rights in Irish presidential elections to include all Irish citizens residing in Northern Ireland.
Aontú brought forward its Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Voting Rights in Presidential Elections) Bill 2025 for second stage discussion in the Dáil this evening, reports RTE.
Party leader Peadar Tóibín stated that the proposal seeks to broaden “the democratic franchise, the right to vote, to all Irish citizens across the country in presidential elections”, reports RTE.
“This is no small thing at all. Enfranchising one million Irish citizens is massively important,” Mr Tóibín said, reports RTE.
He added that the last occurrence of a development on this scale dates back to 1918.
He argued that denying Irish citizens in Northern Ireland the ability to vote represents “a massive attack” on democratic rights, reports RTE.
Mr Tóibín also praised “the sheer joy” that granting them voting rights in presidential elections would bring.
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure Emer Higgins confirmed the Government would not oppose the bill and said the issue would remain under consideration, reports RTE.
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