It’s local, even from abroad

Last weekend, the Constitutional Convention received submissions on extending the right to vote to the Irish abroad.

This excited online fora. Some said the diaspora would rise above “parish pump” politics and vote for politicians who would deliver for Ireland, rather than for politicians mired in minor constituency issues.

I surveyed some of my fellow Irish immigrants in England, Spain, Australia, and America. There was agreement: Irish governments of the past 20 years have consisted of local politicians making a mess of the national job. We spoke about the more effective political structures within our new countries and whether or not they could be applied in Ireland.