Call for diaspora to be given vote

PROPOSAL Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh

Call for diaspora to be given vote


Anton McNulty

The Irish diaspora should be given a voice in the running of the country and offered the opportunity to vote in General Elections according to Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh.
The Sinn Féin councillor was speaking at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council where a presentation on the Diaspora Project was given. The project is a Mayo County Council and Western Development Commission initiative which aims to forge links with people with ‘Mayo DNA’ and the county.
At present a website is being developed which is aimed at strengthening  links with Mayo and the estimated 3.5 million Mayo Diaspora around the world. The website will share information with what is happening in Mayo and will include discussion forums, video chat and information on genealogy.
Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh said that she spent 13 years living in London and said the new government should not forget the Irish Diaspora and feels they should be given the right to vote in elections.
“The new government should not lose sight of the Irish Diaspora and allow them to vote and have their say in the political system. Every opportunity should be done to advance that,“ she said. She also said that they should not also forget the undocumented Irish who are unable to return home for family occasions.
Cllr Joe Mellett welcomed that work on the Diaspora Project and said that advancing the links with Mayo and the Diaspora would be beneficial to the county.