Sir - I feel I must take issue with D. K. Henderson's letter (December 5th). It has been said, and said consistently, that Irish expatriates should not be allowed to vote on the grounds that there should be no representation without taxation. I would like to offer another scenario.
Having been an expatriate myself up to June 1995, I and hundreds of thousands like me were directly responsible for the transfer of millions of pounds 19 the Irish economy on a consistent level. And it was something we gladly did. Not only did it have a direct effect on the local and national economy, it also helped indirectly to finance the education service, the health service and the social welfare service.
This investment was unconditional representation was not asked for, nor was it offered. But if one wants to take the argument of "no representation without taxation" to its logical conclusion, one would surely have to exclude the 275,000 people unemployed in the country. These are the very people who were in part sustained by the absence of and the money of expatriates.
What people really want is representation through their investments in Irish banks, and the purchasing of homes in this country for retirement. I and my wife have spent in excess of £80,000 for homes in this country. Taken with another £50,000 in the local economy, it is not difficult to see that we will never get a return on this money, nor do we expect or want one. We were proud to do it (and we don't have a chip on our shoulders).
It may not be viable to give expatriates the vote, but the principle must be given. It's just recognition. - Yours, etc.,
Brosna, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon.