Should Paddy in Glasgow Pick the Next President?

For more than a decade, the question has lingered: should Irish citizens living overseas, and those in Northern Ireland, get to vote for the president? Governments have promised action, launched strategies, and made nods to the global Irish community. Yet, as the next Áras contest approaches, the pledge has quietly vanished from the political to-do list. Sean Defoe isn’t convinced that flinging open the ballot to the world’s Irish is the best idea. But for broadcaster and writer Paddy Duffy, speaking from his home in Scotland, the exclusion is a glaring contradiction. How can a role meant to symbolise unity ignore millions who still fly the flag from abroad? And why can a Polish or Brazilian citizen in Ireland vote for their own president overseas, while an Irish citizen in Newry or New York can’t? The discussion weighs the ideals against the realities: could diaspora voting dilute the voice of those living here? Would the numbers abroad even bother to show up? Or is this less about turnout and more about identity and inclusion? Throughout the podcast Paddy makes the case for change, while Sean probes whether the cost, complexity, and potential unintended consequences are worth it. It’s a conversation about belonging, representation, and who really gets to define Irishness in the 21st century. What do you think? Should emigrants have a say in choosing Ireland’s president? Email your views to [email protected] and join the debate.