Madam, - Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin has written to the Irish and British governments indicating what he wants to see included in the review of the Good Friday Agreement. Many people in the Republic would wish to include a call for a change to the new Article 2 of our Constitution which formed part of that agreement. While denying, of course, that we need any outside "permission" to change any article of our Constitution, a "peg" or context is normal in these affairs.
The Republic is suffering grievously from the workings of the new article, which means that, uniquely in Europe, there is automatic right of citizenship at birth.
This opens up a horrendous vista, which the British foresaw. They were not going to be mad enough to say that any illegal immigrant giving birth in Northern Ireland would get automatic citizenship, or their borders would be assailed, so they added Annexe 2 to the agreement.
Do Sinn Féin believe that we in the Republic are due fewer safeguards than the British under the agreement? If not, let them state that they have no objection to the suggested wording for a referendum to change Article 2 which we have sent to Government: to change the words "every person born on the island of Ireland" to "all the people of the island of Ireland" together with the addition where appropriate of the following, based on Annex 2 of the Belfast agreement: "For the purposes of the acquisition of citizenship the words 'all the people of the island of Ireland' in Article 2 shall have the meaning 'all persons born on the island of Ireland and having at the time of their birth at least one parent who enjoys the right of citizenship in either of the jurisdictions on the island or is otherwise entitled to reside in either of those jurisdictions without any restriction on their period of residence.'"
It should be noted that Article 3 already makes reference to "both jurisdictions". This gives nothing to or takes nothing from either community in Northern Ireland which would necessitate the demand for a quid pro quo.
Sinn Féin likes to claim it is a 32-county party, but if it objects to such a change we will know that its real attitude is: "The North is what matters. They are only Free Staters. Let them suffer on."
We await its response with interest. - Yours, etc.,
ÁINE NÍ CHONÁILL,
PRO, Immigration Control
Platform,
Dublin 2.