A BELFAST-based US businessman and a lawyer turned academic have urged the taoiseach to allow northerners to vote in European elections.
Dr Frances Costello travelled to Dublin yesterday where he handed delivered a letter to the Taoiseach’s office in Dublin.
Dr Costello and Ciaran White, a senior law lecturer at Ulster University, believe enabling people in Northern Ireland to elect MEPs would "give real meaning" to Micheál Martin's concept of a 'Shared Island'.
The pair, who have made their call in a letter to the Fianna Fáil leader, have previously lobbied European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic and Donald Tusk, former president of the European Council, on the issue.
According to Dr Costello and Mr White, EU voting rights for third country nationals is a matter "solely within the competence of member states - such as Ireland".
They argue that a member state can accord EU parliamentary voting rights to its own citizens living outside its territory.
"This fact makes it clear that the Irish government can grant Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland, the right to vote in EU parliamentary elections for seats allocated to Ireland," their letter states.
They cite the examples of Turkish Cypriots being permitted to vote in the EU elections and residents of Nouvelle Calédonie, a group of French Pacific islands, also being allowed to elect MEPs.
The letter says that the Irish government could similarly allow third country nationals to vote in EU elections by extending the franchise to UK citizens living in Northern Ireland, regardless of their passport.
"We respectfully propose that you act as head of the Irish government with urgency at this critical time to help correct the democratic deficit by allowing the right to vote in EU parliamentary elections be extended to all three of these citizen groups (i.e. Irish, UK and other EU passport holders) in the interest of democratic inclusion, the mandate of the Good Friday Agreement, and of economic, social and political stability throughout the island of Ireland, north and south," the letter states.
"Clearly, this would be an inclusive gesture, conducive with healing within all sections of our communities."
