IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Seeking a Place for Irish Citizens Living Abroad in Seanad Eireann (Irish Senate)
For Immediate Release
Seeking a Place for Irish Citizens Living Abroad in Seanad Eireann (Irish Senate)
DUBLIN, IRELAND, December 6, 2024. Hilary Beirne from Boyle, Co Roscommon, submitted nomination papers to the National University of Ireland today to contest the upcoming Seanad elections and his agenda will include the 20% of Ireland’s population who live abroad, as well as policies concerning third level education, and the relationship with the US.
He is well known internationally for his leadership role at the iconic New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, and as a member of the Washington based Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement, roles where he has advocated for Ireland and the Irish abroad.
With every Irish family having a relative living abroad, and with 70% of the population having worked outside Ireland, one would think, the topic of the huge number of Irish born and raised nationals living abroad would have been hotly debated in the recent general election. Yet, it is not, WHY?? Do these family members matter? Simply and harshly put, they don’t.
CONTEXT: The Department of Foreign Affairs in 2017 estimated, there were one million Irish born and raised citizens living abroad. This is not the diaspora, but citizens of Ireland; they were born in Ireland, and they grew up here in Ireland. This number is not only astounding, but is the equivalent to 20% of Ireland’s population, and they are not included in discussions in their homeland, not even during the recent general election.
Irish election laws revoke an Irish citizen’s right to vote within 18 months of emigrating. As a result, these citizens are not allowed to have one single person to represent their interests in Ireland, “home”, even though their families and relatives live here. Indeed, when one steps out of the Republic of Ireland, (even across the border), effectively you are disenfranchised by the state (no longer exist) and the basic democratic right to vote as a citizen of Ireland is lost.
Parents today are watching their children leave in their thousands due to the high cost of living and the housing crisis. In actual fact, most National University of Ireland students are also emigrating, going abroad seeking a better quality of life because to the high cost of living and the relative lower incomes when compared to other countries. What most parents are unaware of the fact that within 18 months, their child’s as a citizen of Ireland right to vote anywhere in the world (not just Ireland) is revoked by Irish law, and effectively in the eyes of the state, they actually no longer exist.
Parents want their children to return home, they want them to remain connected to Ireland and home, and above all, they want them to come back “home”. Parents do not what their children lost forever, like the generations gone before them!!! Most if not all parents are also unaware that if their child moves abroad and closes their bank account, they are unable to reopen it because they lack residency in Ireland, which is required by Irish banking regulations. The same is true when it comes to third level education, they must pay higher fees that are charged to non-citizens despite the fact they are citizens of Ireland unless they have 6 years of residency.
There are many issues with current Irish electoral law which are not found in other European countries. Indeed, all European countries (except Cyprus and Slovakia), and two thirds of the nations of the world include their citizens residing abroad in some type of political representation process for the benefit of the home country. Why does Ireland not do the same? Note the words “benefit of the home country”. Remember, we are talking about our own, born and raised here in Ireland.
The Irish abroad are global ambassadors for Ireland and they do an excellent good job representing us all across the world, as the Irish are welcomed everywhere. Some are highly successful in business, education, health care, etc. and if engaged properly they could help drive investment and expertise to Ireland, thereby, reducing the over dependence on multinationals. Alas, they are currently not being engaged for the benefit of the country.
Irish Citizens abroad should be reengaged in the democratic processes in Ireland, but the question is where? I advocate the Seanad and / or Presidential elections as the appropriate place, as these elections do not impact domestic policies or domestic affairs. By allowing such engagement Ireland will benefit economically as well as politically on the world stage, plus it will create a sense of belonging for those who emigrated with the hopes of returning.
National policy makers and political leaders should be worried about the imminent decline in influence of Irish America which is aging out due to the lack of emigration to the United States, as well as the changing political climate in the US. If Ireland wishes to remain relevant on the world stage it needs to actively engage its own citizens living abroad, and allowing them to retain their democratic right to vote as a citizen of Ireland would be a good place to start.
As a newly elected Senator to the Irish Seanad, he will be in a unique position to help build a bridge between Ireland and the new US administration. As the National University of Ireland (NUI) representative in Seanad Eireann, his agenda will advocate for additional resources for NUI institutions, work with NUI Presidents to help better prepare Irish graduates for the global economy, and represent all Irish Citizens and NUI graduates at home and abroad in the Seanad
Hilary T Beirne
Hilary Beirne grew up on a farm outside Boyle, County Roscommon. His father was the local veterinary surgeon, and he is from a family of ten. He attended St Mary’s College, Boyle, for secondary education, and then attended University College Galway, University College Dublin, Atlantic Technology University (Mountbellew Campus), and Hunter College at the City University of New York. He has a Certificate in Agriculture, a Bachelors’ Degree in Agricultural Science, and a Master’s in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. Besides working at the New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, he has been an educator in New York, and before that, he worked with farmers in the West of Ireland introducing the wrapping of the baled silage, then an innovation in agriculture in the late 80’s, and which is now seen all over Ireland.
Hilary Beirne is Chairman and founder of NYC St Patrick’s Day Foundation, a member of the Executive Board at VotingRights.ie, Chief Administrator Officer of the St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City, an Honorary Member of the famous fighting Irish regiment in New York “The Fighting 69th”, member of the Roscommon and Leitrim Society of New York and the only Irish born member of the Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the GFA, in Washington during Brexit.
Since speaking at the Global Irish Civic Forum in Dublin Castle in April 2023, he coordinates a network of global Irish citizens who seek engagement with Ireland like other European Nations. This is important for Ireland in a rapid changing globe environment, something which can drive economic investments and political goodwill to Ireland from all across the globe. The number of Irish born nationals living abroad is approx. 1 million, 20% of Ireland’s population, and this number is increasing due to the cost of living and the housing crisis. Working with the Irish abroad has resulted in him being asked to stand for the Seanad to represent them in the land of their birth. As an educator and Seanad member he will advocate for additional resource for education and NUI institutions, as well as work with NUI Presidents to help better prepare Irish graduates for the global economy and represent all NUI graduates and citizens be they be in Ireland or abroad.
For additional Information: Visit HilaryBeirne.ie
Contact: Hilary Beirne at WhatsApp +1-914-473-4000 / Email: [email protected]
Hilary Beirne in this month’s Public Sector Magazine https://issuu.com/argyll1/docs/psm_win24_web?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
A day in the life of Hilary Beirne https://gowildmagazine.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-hilary-beirne/
