Six-County Representation in the Oireachtas

``It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born on the island of Ireland, which includes its island and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland...''

A key factor in the securing of a Yes vote in the referendum in the 26 Counties following the Good Friday Agreement was the inclusion of the above assertion of Irish citizenship rights in the amended Article 2 of the 1937 Constitution. This placed upon the Irish government a special responsibility to ensure that the rights of Irish citizens are vindicated.

Sinn Féin argues that these rights include the right of citizens in the Six Counties to send representatives to the Irish legislature. Six-County representation would be a progressive step, fully in accord with the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.

 


The traditional demand of Northern nationalists has been for representation in Dáil Éireann. Of course they had such representation in the First and Second Dáil and as Irish citizens they are entitled to it now. This representation could be organised in a number of ways:

a. the existing 18 Westminster MPs could be automatically accorded membership of the Dáil, either with full voting entitlement or at a more restricted consultative and speaking level;

b. a determined number of seats could be allocated to Northern parties in proportion to their electoral representation in the Northern Assembly;

or

c. elections could be organised in the North at the same time as Dáil general elections

 


The likely non-participation of Unionist representatives in such schemes should obviously be noted but should not be a consideration in asserting the right to representation and in deciding how best to facilitate that representation. Unionist non-participation should not be a veto against those who wish to play a full and constructive part in national politics.

On the contrary, the Oireachtas, and the people of the 26 Counties in a referendum, would be opening the door to those of the Unionist tradition who may in the future wish to avail of representation.

Unionist seats could be left vacant as a constant assertion of the recognition of the Irish nation that they have a right of entitlement in our institutions.

Already MEPs have the right to attend in the Dáil chamber, without participating, and the very least that could be expected is the extension of that right to either Westminster MPs elected from the Six Counties or Northern Assembly members. For logistical reasons Westminster MPs might be more appropriate.

 


The Case for representation and how it could work in practice


One of the most significant consequences of partition has been the effective disenfranchisement of the nationalist population of the Six Counties. Not allowed participation in the political institutions of the Southern state, they were gerrymandered into insignificance in the Northern state, and totally isolated and swamped at Westminster, even if they were prepared to swear a repugnant oath of alleigance to a foreign monarchy.
It is the case that tens of thousands of people elect their parliamentary representatives in the Six Counties as Irish legislators, rather than oath-bound participants in the Westminster parliament. These people are currently denied access to a parliamentary forum.
However much the situation may improve with the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement the establishment of a Northern assembly was not an objective of Irish nationalism. The cross-border institutions and implementation bodies will provide a new and positive executive outlet, but the democratic representational and consultative deficit remains.
In summary the most appropriate proposals in relation to the right of citizens in the Six Counties to send representatives to the Irish legislature seem to be:

a right to attend and speak as a consultative member of the Dáil for all Six County Westminster MPs pending the right of all representatives to full voting rights
full voting rights for citizens registered on the election lists in the Six Counties in referenda and presidential elections
These proposed changes would require a constitutional amendment, as would those in relation to referenda and presidential elections. The granting of consultative rights to attend the Dáil is an internal matter of Dáil rules.