Up to a half million Irish people living in the EU should be able to vote in Dáil elections, and are being deprived of their rights at the moment, according to the European Commission.

Up to 3m Irish passport holders living abroad could have the right to vote in the next presidential election if proposals approved yesterday by the Convention on the Constitution are accepted by Government and approved in a referendum.

Independent TD Shane Ross claims Enda Kenny is "admitting defeat" in the Seanad referendum campaign refusing to take part in a televised debate.

Proposals to reform the Seanad and significantly widen the election process for the upper house are expected to be opposed or delayed by senators.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says he is personally in favour of allowing emigrants to vote in future Irish elections — but has insisted the call “is not tokenism”.

The Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says Irish emigrants should be given a vote in General and Presidential elections.

Former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue has dismissed reports that Kerry footballers are being targeted as candidates to run for Fianna Fáil in the new five-seater Kerry constituency.

A meeting of Fianna Fáil in Tralee last night saw former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue elected to one of the key positions in the new all-county organisation.

Greens have reacted angrily to the decision allowing GM potatoes to be grown on a trial basis.

Presidential candidate Sean Gallagher has revealed that he is not putting up any campaign posters, nor will he be using a campaign bus.

IRELAND is the fifth most expensive place to live in the EU, despite the fall in the cost of living in recent years.

Voters in Britain and the North go to the polls today in a series of national and local elections. They will also vote in a referendum to decide the way MPs are elected.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams ended his Stormont career today by praising the “remarkable” achievement of power-sharing.

The Government was urged today to lower the voting age for Dáil elections by a year to 17.

IVOR always gets there in the end – even if it is by the scenic route.

IT is said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In relation to Dáil elections, that is broadly true. In 1957 and 1961, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael between them secured 81% - 82% of the popular vote. Come 2007, an economic transformation and a 30-odd year terrorist campaign later, that had dipped, but only slightly, to 77.5%.

SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams has said his party can still be a force in national politics despite its failure to make inroads in turbulent local and European elections.

Environment Minister John Gormley has reportedly confirmed his plans to introduce spending limits for candidates ahead of next June's local elections.

ALL college graduates will be entitled to vote in Seanad elections within 12 months under an extensive process of reform, Fianna Fáil’s new leader of the Seanad pledged yesterday.

CITIZENS are rightly concerned that the electoral register for Dáil elections is accurate and fully inclusive. But Government is also responsible for ensuring that elections to the Seanad are fully democratic.

ENVIRONMENT Minister Dick Roche last night suggested a novel way to beat the threat of mass fraud at the next election — indelible ink which stays on voters fingers for five days.

FINE Gael yesterday committed itself to significantly slashing the Government's ambitious decentralisation programme if necessary.

WITH barely 18 months to the next general election, significant tremors were felt on the political landscape at the weekend as a rejuvenated Fine Gael flexed newfound muscles so vigorously that its planned marriage with Labour could be jeopardised.

PUBLIC sector businesses were dismissed as a waste of time and money that could be better deployed in this age of free markets, the ISME annual conference was told.

IF the delegates making their way to the Progressive Democrats’ annual conference in Killarney were the equivalent of shareholders gathering for the annual general meeting of a publicly quoted company, there is one question which this analyst would be suggesting they ask those at the top table: will the PDs field any candidates in the upcoming European elections?

FROM any paper other than the excellent Irish Examiner, I would regard a slice at teachers in the Oireachtas as a cheap shot.

THIS whole benchmarking thing is a source of puzzlement.

Dan Collins