THE IRISH REPUBLICAN NEWS
Posted by Jim on May 7, 2026
An all-island Presidential election for the first time
A Bill from Aontú to give presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the north of Ireland passed its second stage this week, but it still under threat from the coalition government. Here the party’s deputy leader Gemma Brolly, who represents Derry East, explains why it would be a significant step for Ireland. (for the Irish Sun)
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As an Irish citizen living in the North, I have always found it outrageous that I can hold an Irish passport and stand for the office of Irish president, yet I am denied a vote in choosing who holds it.
I can serve in the Irish Defence forces, but cannot vote for the president of Ireland.
More than one million Irish citizens are currently excluded from Ireland’s presidential election — despite the Good Friday Agreement affirming the right to Irish citizenship, with 700,000 exercising that right.
Aontú’s Bill to grant presidential voting rights to all citizens in the North has proceeded to the second stage in the Dáil, marking a critical moment in democratic unity.
This legislation arises from a motion announced at Aontú’s 1916 Easter commemoration in Arbour Hill last year.
It speaks directly to whether the Irish government is willing to align its democratic practice with its professed values.
It was later proposed by Sinn Féin in Stormont and carried by a majority of 46 to 25.
Aontú — as an all-Ireland political party — is constantly working to better the lives of every citizen across the whole island of Ireland.
We want to see working families thrive, not fight to survive. We want to build a society where people can afford to run their vehicles and heat their homes and at all times we will uphold the principles of democracy.
But the power to address this democratic deficit does not rest with Stormont, nor does it rest with Westminster. It rests solely with the Dáil.
One might ask, therefore, why the delay?
Simon Coveney, Tanáiste at the time, previously stated that the reason for the lack of progress on presidential voting rights was the fear among parties that it could aid in the election of a president with roots in Sinn Féin.
This theory has been widely acknowledged, especially in the last year.
As a proud Irish citizen, I am appalled not only by the restriction and inequality placed upon my rights, but also by the fact that such conditions have been permitted to exist at all.
I am equally disturbed by the deeply undemocratic culture that has been allowed to grow and take root over such a long period of time.
The idea that, regardless of who you are, who you are affiliated with, or where you live, anyone would seek to halt, stall or undermine or manipulate the democratic rights of citizens because the outcome may not align with their own preferences is disgraceful.
That such a mindset could exist within the structures of our society that are meant to uphold, protect and embody democratic principles is not only profoundly troubling, but an absolute insult to the concept of democracy itself.
The extension of voting rights would not advantage any single party by default.
But it would require all parties to engage seriously on a 32 county basis. It would extend voting rights to unionists who hold Irish citizenship.
As our bill advances to its next stage, the question facing the Dáil is not one of symbolism, but of responsibility — not one of kicking the can further down the road, but of action now.
If Ireland is serious about democracy and equality, then its laws must reflect that. The opportunity exists now to take a major practical, constitutional step forward.
The people of Ireland want this.
Has the government the courage and determination to do so?