A Chara, - I would like to echo the sentiment of Andrea Newport's missive from Strasbourg (April 22nd) that Irish people living abroad should have the right to vote in the upcoming referendum. Is there not a mismatch between the thrust of the proposed new wording for Article 2 - in particular, "It is the entitlement and the birthright of every person born on the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation" - and the fact that a large number of that "Irish nation" are effectively disenfranchised when it comes to referendums for proposed changes to the Irish Constitution? As an expatriate Irishman for the last eight years, I would be the first to say that, of course, the diaspora should have no right to vote in parliamentary and local elections, but changes to the Constitution are another matter. Does not the Constitution belong to all the people of the Irish nation? And please don't give me the argument that it would be too difficult to organise votes for the Irish living abroad. Surely, it is not beyond the means of the Celtic Tiger to ensure that the democratic voice of all her cubs is heard. - Is mise, Pearse O'Loughlin,
East 25th Street, Minneapolis, USA.