Sir, - What a load of nonsense from Caoimhghin O Caolain (July 21st), when he urges the extension of voting rights in the Republic to (certain) residents of Northern Ireland. An extra-territorial franchise is difficult to set up and administer at the best of times. In the riven and strife-torn society of Northern Ireland it would be utterly impossible.
Mr O Caolain is being wilfully disingenuous in suggesting that his proposal would be "fully in accord with the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement". He knows perfectly well that it would be flatly rejected and spurned by over half of the electorate in Northern Ireland, who would not take up the option of Irish citizenship and would, understandably, regard his suggestion as provocative and an unwarranted intrusion on the part of this State in the "internal affairs of Northern Ireland". Mr O Caolain would do well to reflect on the emphasis in the Agreement on the recognition and acceptance of the status of Northern Ireland. Can he and his party ever learn to leave well enough alone? Anyway, coming up with such proposals at this stage is like trying to score after the final whistle has gone.
Later in his letter, Mr O Caolain appears to let the cat out of the bag when he refers to achieving the "fullest representation possible for Northern nationalists". Is he, in fact, suggesting that the franchise be extended to these people only? How would they be identified? Would they have to swear their allegiance before being given a ballot paper? Some idea of democracy!
On the technical aspects of his proposal, Mr O Caolain is under some misapprehensions. The right to vote here is regulated by statutelaw and not the Constitution and the Constitutional Review body is not and will not be considering the issue.
Mr O Caolain himself would be more "in accord with the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement" if he were to drop the use of such dated and pejorative terms as "Six Counties" and "Twenty-Six Counties". He is paid his not ungenerous salary and expenses for his role as a TD by the taxpayers of the Republic of Ireland.
It seems to me that Mr O Caolain needs very badly to get his thinking straightened out - but then it's probably very difficult to stand, never mind think, straight when you find yourself with a ballot paper in one hand and (we're told) nothing at all in the other! - Yours, etc., John Newman,
Dublin 11.