I move "That a decree be passed having for its object the admission of Irish women to the Parliamentary Franchise on the same terms as Irish men." Ba mhaith liom an rún so do chuir os bhúr gcomhair. The women did their own part in the war during the last five years and I think they should be given the franchise now and I hope there is no Teachta here against it. The brave men who put their names to the proclamation of the Irish Republic in Easter Week wanted to put the men and women on the same footing on the voting register. I feel that I have not been treated fairly on this motion. This is the Bill which I now rise to propose.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL MEMORANDUM.—This Bill has for its object the admission of Irish women to the Parliamentary franchise on the same terms as Irish men.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE A.D. 1922—A Bill to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1918.
Be it enacted by Dáil Éireann by and with the authority of the Sovereign people and with the consent of the Honourable President, as follows:—
FRANCHISES.
1.—For Section one, and sub-section (1) of section 4, of the Representation of the People Act 1918 (herein called the principal Act) the following Section shall be substituted:—
"1.—(1) A person whether male or female shall be entitled to be registered as a Parliamentary elector for a Constituency (other than a University constituency) if such person has attained the age of 21 years and is not subject to any legal incapacity, and:—(a) has the requisite residence qualification or (b) has the requisite business premises qualification.
"2.—A person in order to have the requisite residence qualification or business premises qualification for constituency
"(a) Must on the last day of the qualifying period be residing in premises in the constituency or occupying business premises in the constituency as the case may be; and
"(b) Must during the whole of the qualifying period have resided in premises, or occupied business premises as the case may be, in the constituency, or in another constituency within the same Parliamentary Borough or Parliamentary County, or within a Parliamentary Borough or Parliamentary County contiguous to that Borough or County or separated from that Borough or County by water not exceeding at the nearest point six miles in breadth measured in the case of tidal water from low-water mark.
"3.—The expression business premises in this section means land or other premises of the yearly value of not less than Ten Pounds occupied for the purpose of the business, profession or trade of the person to be registered."
For Section two and sub-section (2) of section four of the principal Act the following section shall be substituted:—
"2.—A person whether male or female shall be entitled to be registered as a Parliamentary elector for a University constituency if such person has attained the age of twenty-one years and is not subject to any legal incapacity and has received a degree (other than an honorary degree) at any University forming or forming part of the Constituency."
Sub-section (1) of section 8 of the principal Act shall have effect as if the following words were substituted therefor:
"Every person registered as a Parliamentary elector for any constituency shall while so registered (and in the case of a woman notwithstanding sex or marriage) be entitled to vote at an election of a member to serve in Parliament for that Constituency but a person shall not vote at a general election for more than one constituency for which such person is registered by virtue of a residence qualification or for more than one Constituency for which such person is registered by virtue of other qualifications of whatever kind."
Sub-section (11) (a) of Section forty-four of the principal Act shall have effect as if the following words were substituted therefor:—
"The qualifying period shall be a period of six months ending on the 15th day of March and including that day."
REGISTRATION.
(1) A register of electors (under this Act) shall be prepared in this and in every succeeding year and shall be made out for the qualifying period ending on the fifteenth day of March in each year.
(2) The register shall come into force on the commencement of the fifteenth day of June in each year and remain in force until the fifteenth day of June in the next following year.
(3) If for any reason the registration officer fails to compile a fresh yearly register for his area or any part of his area the register in force at the time when the fresh register should have come into force shall continue to operate as the register for the area or part of an area in respect of which default has been made. Sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of section eleven and sub-section (11) (b) of section forty-four of the principal Act shall be modified accordingly.
The registration dates shall be the dates specified in the second column of Part One of the Schedule to this Act, and the documents specified in Part Two of that Schedule shall be kept published until the dates specified in the second column of that part of that Schedule.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 and all Acts incorporated therewith and Orders made thereunder shall have effect save as hereinbefore provided and also subject to the following modifications:
(1) References to the Parliament and to the House of Commons and House of Lords shall be construed as references to Dáil Éireann.
(2) References to the United Kingdom shall be construed as references to Ireland save where the provision of the Statute or order or any special enactments relating solely to Ireland are repugnant to such construction.
(3) References to persons and officers shall be construed as references to persons and officers holding corresponding or the like positions under the authority or with the concurrence of Dáil Éireann.
(4) References to Councils Courts Boards or Offices shall be construed as references to corresponding or the like councils, courts boards or offices acting or maintained under the authority or with the concurrence of Dáil Éireann.
This Act may be cited as the Representation of the People Act, 1922.
SCHEDULE
PART ONE.
REGISTRATION DATES FOR REGISTER.
SUBJECT MATTER |
DATES |
End of Qualifying Period |
15 March |
Publication of Electors Lists |
1 April |
Last Day for Objections to Electors Lists |
15 April |
Last Day for Claims |
18 April |
Last Day for Claims as Absent Voters |
18 April |
Last Day for Notification of desire by Naval or Military Voter not to be placed on Absent Voters' List |
18 April |
Publication of List of Objections to Electors Lists |
21 April |
Publication of List of Claimants |
24 April |
Last Day for Objections to Claimants |
5 May |
Last Day for Claims by Out Voters |
5 May |
Publication of Lists of Objections to Claimants (as soon as practicable after) |
5 May |
Register comes into force |
15 June |
PART TWO.
PUBLICATION OF DOCUMENTS FOR PURPOSES OF THE REGISTER.
NATURE OF DOCUMENTS |
DATES TO WHICH DOCUMENTS TO BE KEPT PUBLISHED |
Electors Lists |
18 April |
Notices as to mode of making Claims and Objections |
6 May |
Corrupt and Illegal Practices Lists |
18 April |
List of Claimants |
6 May |
List of Persons to whose Registration Notice of Objection has been given |
6 May |
List of Claimants to whose Registration Notice of Objection has been given |
14th day after publication |
Register |
Date of coming into force of next Register |
The discussion concerning other items on the Agenda has prejudiced the matter beforehand and has contributed to give the measure a Party tone and I feel it is useless to make any statement about my sincerity here. Still I want to assure you, a Chinn Comhairle, that I am acting in good faith in this matter, and in sincerity. One Teachta remarked in Tuesday's discussion that I could not have the measure very much at heart since I only sent in notice of motion at the last moment. The delay could be satisfactorily explained but I do not want to weary you. I want you to understand however that the conclusion that the Teachta came to is not correct. I have the cause very much at heart. I was in a Suffrage Society ten years ago. It is not a measure or cause I am espousing to-day for Party purposes. The Bill, copies of which in English have been supplied to the members, has for its object the admission of these women for the first time as Irishwomen to the Parliamentary franchise. In other words, it is a Bill to enfranchise Irishwomen between the ages of 21 and 30. I thought at first that I would explain the clauses of the Bill. Second thoughts showed how unnecessary that would be to a House containing so many legal lights. The points will, I hope, be dealt with and explained satisfactorily in the discussion. I will confine myself to a statement of the general principle. The civilization of a country is marked by the position of its women and, by that test, Ireland stands high. The Proclamation of the Irish Republic in 1916 was addressed to Irishwomen as well as it to Irishmen and guaranteed equal rights to all its citizens. It promised the people a national Government, elected by the suffrages of Irishmen and Irishwomen. I cannot believe that there is in this Parliament of the Irish Republic a single Deputy but holds with me that we ought now to remedy this injustice to a section of Irishwomen. During these last years of war and terror, these women in the twenties took their share in the dangers. They have purchased their right to the franchise and they have purchased their right to a say in this all-important question before the country. Without their votes or their voice, nobody can say that the will of the whole people of Ireland will have been ascertained.
Mr. Griffith, President of the Republic, in reply to a women's deputation last week on this matter, while declaring his belief in equal suffrage for the sexes, put forward some objections. He said it was a mistake to say that the Dáil had the power to alter the Franchise. Since when has there been a limit to the power of the Dáil in Ireland? I understood that this was the sovereign authority in Ireland, deriving its power from the sovereign people. And I have yet to be convinced that that is not the case. The second objection he put forward was the difficulty of compiling the Register. I have no expert knowledge on this point but it seems to me absurd to say that it would require eight months. Three months is the time allowed for the general register to be compiled. Surely if this decree was passed by An Dáil, the work could be speeded up and brought into the time. The third objection is that if it were passed Great Britain would not recognise it and the fate of the Treaty would be affected, as President Griffith says. And when he says a thing I believe he believes it. But if President Griffith says that ninety-five per cent. of the adult women voters of Ireland are solid for the Treaty there is his best argument in the world to make this Bill welcome across the water. I had hoped before the Session opened, when I was thinking of this, to get the support of many members of the Dáil for this measure, irrespective of Party. Now I am not so sure. However if any oppose it I only ask them one thing —not to accuse me of insincerity, of trailing a red herring, torpedoing the Treaty or anything like that. It is time I think in the Dáil that we tried to escape from the tyranny of the phrase. To cry "red-herring" at the measure does not in any way impair its nature or essential justice. I now propose this Bill and I ask the Dáil to pass it into law.