Time for the right to vote
Six-County Representation in the Oireachtas
``It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born on the
island of Ireland, which includes its island and seas, to be part
of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons
otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of
Ireland...''
A key factor in the securing of a Yes vote in the referendum in
the 26 Counties following the Good Friday Agreement was the
inclusion of the above assertion of Irish citizenship rights in
the amended Article 2 of the 1937 Constitution. This placed upon
the Irish government a special responsibility to ensure that the
rights of Irish citizens are vindicated.
Sinn Féin argues that these rights include the right of citizens
in the Six Counties to send representatives to the Irish
legislature. Six-County representation would be a progressive
step, fully in accord with the spirit of the Good Friday
Agreement.
The traditional demand of Northern nationalists has been for
representation in Dáil Éireann. Of course they had such
representation in the First and Second Dáil and as Irish citizens
they are entitled to it now. This representation could be
organised in a number of ways:
a. the existing 18 Westminster MPs could be automatically
accorded membership of the Dáil, either with full voting
entitlement or at a more restricted consultative and speaking
level;
b. a determined number of seats could be allocated to Northern
parties in proportion to their electoral representation in the
Northern Assembly;
or
c. elections could be organised in the North at the same time as
Dáil general elections
The likely non-participation of Unionist representatives in such
schemes should obviously be noted but should not be a
consideration in asserting the right to representation and in
deciding how best to facilitate that representation. Unionist
non-participation should not be a veto against those who wish to
play a full and constructive part in national politics.
On the contrary, the Oireachtas, and the people of the 26
Counties in a referendum, would be opening the door to those of
the Unionist tradition who may in the future wish to avail of
representation.
Unionist seats could be left vacant as a constant assertion of
the recognition of the Irish nation that they have a right of
entitlement in our institutions.
Already MEPs have the right to attend in the Dáil chamber,
without participating, and the very least that could be expected
is the extension of that right to either Westminster MPs elected
from the Six Counties or Northern Assembly members. For
logistical reasons Westminster MPs might be more appropriate.
The Case for representation and how it could work in practice
- One of the most significant consequences of partition has been
the effective disenfranchisement of the nationalist population of
the Six Counties. Not allowed participation in the political
institutions of the Southern state, they were gerrymandered into
insignificance in the Northern state, and totally isolated and
swamped at Westminster, even if they were prepared to swear a
repugnant oath of alleigance to a foreign monarchy.
- It is the case that tens of thousands of people elect their
parliamentary representatives in the Six Counties as Irish
legislators, rather than oath-bound participants in the
Westminster parliament. These people are currently denied access
to a parliamentary forum.
- However much the situation may improve with the implementation
of the Good Friday Agreement the establishment of a Northern
assembly was not an objective of Irish nationalism. The
cross-border institutions and implementation bodies will provide
a new and positive executive outlet, but the democratic
representational and consultative deficit remains.
In summary the most appropriate proposals in relation to the
right of citizens in the Six Counties to send representatives to
the Irish legislature seem to be:
- a right to attend and speak as a consultative member of the
Dáil for all Six County Westminster MPs pending the right of all
representatives to full voting rights
- full voting rights for citizens registered on the election
lists in the Six Counties in referenda and presidential elections
These proposed changes would require a constitutional amendment,
as would those in relation to referenda and presidential
elections. The granting of consultative rights to attend the Dáil
is an internal matter of Dáil rules.
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