Noelle O'Connell is executive director of European Movement Ireland, which is running a campaign to encourage Irish people in Britain to register to vote ahead of the UK referendum on membership of the European Union.
On June 23rd, the UK will vote on its membership of the European Union. The various consequences of a British exit, which has become known as Brexit, are the subject of passionate debate which has now begun in earnest. It has even drawn in US president Barack Obama, who threw his weight squarely behind the Remain side during the final visit of his presidency to Britain last month.
In a noteworthy development, the UK government has decided to extend eligibility to vote in the 'In Out' referendum to Irish people who live in the UK, along with those from Cyprus and Malta. This means that about 500,000 Irish-born citizens living in the UK have a right to vote in the upcoming referendum. The 120,000 or so British-born citizens living in Ireland are also eligible to vote.
When Ireland and the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the world was very different to the globalised one of today. Younger Irish people will not remember experiencing regular border checks on their travels, nor having to change punts to pesos or lira on the continent.
The benefits of EU membership are evident in a number of sectors, not least in third-level education. Erasmus is the world’s most successful student exchange programme. From 2007 to 2014, more than 18,000 Irish students travelled to study across the EU, and the new Erasmus+ programme launched last year is expected to accommodate 25,000 Irish students by 2020. It is today’s young people and future generations who will feel the impact of the result of the Brexit referendum most keenly, no matter which way it goes.
While we at European Movement Ireland do not advocate how anyone should vote, we are strongly of the belief that a Brexit is in no one's best interest. Simply put, an EU without the UK would be bad for Ireland, bad for Europe and bad for the UK itself. We now face the real risk that our closest neighbour and ally is going to leave a union which has magnified our relationship and solidified our political, economic and social ties.
The opportunity for Irish citizens in Britain to vote is a very good example of the special connection we share.
It is for this reason that European Movement Ireland has launched a voter registration drive to remind and encourage Irish-born citizens living in the UK, as well as British citizens in Ireland, to register to vote and to make their voice heard. We are asking everyone with an Irish friend or family member in the UK to let them know they are eligible to vote, and to urge them to register to do so by the June 7th deadline. Registration is simple and can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. People can also highlight the registration drive on social media, using ready-made graphics which can be accessed on our website: www.europeanmovement.ie.
We are also urging Irish people to reach out and #PhoneAFriendto encourage them to register to vote so they can have their say in this once in a generation decision. We in Ireland have a special interest, a unique voice and a particular perspective in this debate.
