Politics

Dublin government internal note further dampens hopes that the north will be included in the EU franchise

Changes to the Republic's electoral laws would be needed if Northern Ireland were to secure representation in the European Parliament after Brexit. Picture by AFP Photo
Changes to the Republic's electoral laws would be needed if Northern Ireland were to secure representation in the European Parliament after Brexit. Picture by AFP Photo Changes to the Republic's electoral laws would be needed if Northern Ireland were to secure representation in the European Parliament after Brexit. Picture by AFP Photo

MAJOR changes to the Republic's electoral laws would be needed if Northern Ireland were to secure representation in the European Parliament after Brexit, internal government documents claim.

Last week two additional European Parliament seats for Ireland were earmarked for constituencies in the Republic, effectively scotching hopes that the north would get MEP representation after the UK leaves the EU.

The additional seats, which increase the Republic's number of MEPs from 11 to 13, are part of the redistribution of the UK's 27 redundant seats.

Nationalist parties and campaigners had hoped that the north would get continued representation in Brussels and Strasbourg, which Sinn Féin argued was in keeping with the commitment in last December's EU-UK Joint Report that there be no diminution of the rights of the north's citizens post-Brexit.

But an internal Dublin government note seen by the Irish Times further dampens hopes that the north will be included in the EU franchise.

"From a practical franchise perspective, there would be a number of challenges associated with such a proposal given our electoral laws, as they currently stand, do not provide for voting from outside of the state, except in very limited circumstances,” the note says, giving the example of diplomats and members of the state defence forces serving overseas.

It says there would be a requirement to establish an electoral register and discusses the need to establish criteria around the eligibility to vote and maintain the register.

The logistics of voting and counting ballots are also highlighted.

"In brief, the allocation of European Parliament seats to Northern Ireland would require a number of key policy decisions to be made by government which would likely give rise to substantive changes to our European Parliament Elections Act 1997,” the note states.

It goes on to outline how representation for the north was not considered by the European Parliament Constituency Committee during its recent deliberations on the review of European Parliament constituencies “on the basis that this issue was outside of its terms of reference”.

The notes says potentially changing the allocation of seats would likely fall under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.