A motion brought by Aontú seeking significant reforms to the Office of President, voting rights for Irish citizens in the north and reform of the nomination process to make it easier for candidates to get their names on the ballot paper, will be debated in the Dáil this morning.
Speaking this morning, party leader Peadar Tóibín TD said: “This motion tackles the shocking democratic deficit in the Presidential Election that we are all witnessing at the moment. So many people are angry at the presidential election farce that is unfolding and frustrated at being locked out of this presidential election campaign. If implemented this reform would open up the presidential election nomination process to ensure in future we have a larger number of candidates more representative of the people of Ireland. It would allow for a democratic competition of ideas where the best ideas would percolate to the top”
“In most elections in Ireland the people pick the elected representative. That is not the case in this election. In council, Dáil, and European elections most people can just enter their name into the race if they meet a limited criteria. Then the people vote and decide who is going to be their representative. Not in the presidential election. The nomination threshold is extremely high by law at 20 Oireachtas members and 4 councils. This process was designed in 1937 when Ireland was a 2.5 party system. Ireland is now a multi-party diverse system and yet the two legacy parties still have massive control of the nomination process. This year the FF/FG party changed their approach from previous elections and blocked candidates getting on the ballot. There was talk that candidates were slow to start. No one came through the council route no matter how early they started because of government blocking. The result is shocking. Opinion poll research has suggested that 49% of voters do not feel represented by the current presidential election candidates and that 55% of voters believe that the Constitution should be changed to make the nomination process easier. The resulted is an election campaign that is curated by the political establishment that has locked over half of the voters out. Polls show many people who regularly vote will stay at home. Polls show that that a massive number of people will spoil the vote. Polls show that 22% of the population would have voted for Maria Steen yet she was not able to get on the ballot”
Deputy Tóibín continued: “It’s a sign of the bubble of this house that the only party representing that anger and frustration is Aontú. The next significant reform is afford all Irish citizens north and south the right to vote in the presidential elections. Shockingly an Irish citizen in the north can stand in a presidential election, campaign in a general election, win a presidential election, be the president of Ireland, but can’t vote in a presidential election. An Irish citizen, an Irish passport holder, a person living in Ireland, recognised by the good Friday agreement, is not allowed by this state to vote in a presidential election. There is a two tier citizenship in existence in Ireland. It is deeply undemocratic and it is against the spirit of the good Friday Agreement.
“The final proposal is around transparency. Áras an Uachtarán and the Office of President of Ireland is one of the few public offices in this country which is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, infact section 42 (H) of the Act specifically exempts the Áras from the provisions of the act. Aontú’s motion today seeks to repeal this provision and open the office up to the same level of scrutiny as you yourself are subjected to Minister. Its incredible that any citizen in the country can apply under FOI for copies of your briefing notes and emails, Minister, but not those of the President of Ireland. Our motion calls on the government to introduce within the next six months legislation which would mandate the publication of an annual report by Áras an Uachtarán, which would detail all costs associated with the entertainment of foreign guests and dignitaries hosted by the President, all costs associated with foreign travel by the President, costs associated with the running of Áras an Uachtarán, including decoration, repairs and refurbishment costs. Whether its wall paper or dog food, spending figures must be made public. The public have a right to know how their money is being spent”, concluded Tóibín.
ENDS
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MOTION WORDING BELOW:
Title
Motion re Office of the President
Body
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises that:
— there is a need to reform the presidential election nomination and voting process, to ensure all Irish citizens living north and south are entitled to vote for the President of Ireland; and
— future healthy robust campaigns should facilitate a competition of values and ideas, and a diverse range of candidates who will provide democratic choice for citizens;
notes that:
— currently Irish citizens who live in the North of Ireland can stand in a presidential election, campaign in a presidential election, win a presidential election, be the President of Ireland, but cannot vote in a presidential election;
— Irish citizens in the North of Ireland, are recognised by the Good Friday Agreement, hold Irish passports, live in Ireland, but cannot vote in an Irish presidential election;
— affording Irish citizens in the North of Ireland the right to vote in presidential elections does not remove one right from our unionist brothers and sisters;
— 700,000 Irish citizens in the North of Ireland are disenfranchised in presidential elections;
— 73 per cent of the participants of the “Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution – Amending the Constitution to give citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in Presidential elections at Irish embassies, or otherwise”, voted in favour of giving Irish citizens in the North of Ireland the right to vote;
— opinion poll research has suggested that 49 per cent of voters do not feel represented by the current presidential election system, and 55 per cent of voters believe that the Constitution should be changed to make the nomination process easier;
— there is a lack of transparency around the Office of the President and Áras an Uachtarán, and these institutions do not have the same level of transparency which applies to Government Departments and State agencies; and
— the Constitution and the law set out the nomination process by Oireachtas members, County Councils, and the nomination by an incumbent, and these rules make it difficult for a prospective candidate to get onto the ballot paper; and
calls on the Government to:
— commit, within a period of two years, to enacting Aontú’s Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Voting Rights in Presidential Elections) Bill 2025 or similar, in order to grant voting rights to Irish citizens living in the North of Ireland during presidential elections;
— repeal Section 42(h) of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, which exempts the President from the mechanisms of this Act;
— introduce, within the next six months, legislation which would mandate the publication of an annual report by Áras an Uachtarán, which would detail all costs associated with the entertainment of foreign guests and dignitaries hosted by the President, all costs associated with foreign travel by the President, costs associated with the running of Áras an Uachtarán, including decoration, repairs, and refurbishment costs; and
— amend the law to allow 14 Oireachtas members or more, 110 county and city councillors or more, or three county or city councils, or an incumbent to nominate a presidential candidate.
ID
MN_161/25
Type
Private Members
Date added
17/10/2025
Sponsor(s)
Peadar Tóibín, Paul Lawless
Category
Public Business
Purpose
Standard
Sub-category
Private Members
