Danny Healy-Rae said people in Six Counties ‘fought to be free' as good as anyone
Speaking in the Dáil on a Sinn Féin motion to include northern citizens in the November election, Deputy Healy-Rae supported the claim citing that northern people should not be denied the opportunity.
'They were instrumental and did their part on every occasion. Therefore, we cannot deny them, if that is what they want. But we need to hear from their side that that is what they want,' he said.
Deputy Healy-Rae said there is a democratic system 'up there in the Six Counties' as well as the south and more direction and involvement between governments is required. He urged the Irish and UK governments, and the Stormont Assembly, to look at a way forward.
'It would be nice to see that happening. It is a good idea (voting) but we need to get some idea of how long it is going to take. We need to get more transparency for our people down here because I have no doubt they will be asking us a lot of questions in the coming days. We need to have some kind of an answer for them and we are depending on the government to give us that answer,' he said.
'There is no denying that people of the North, in those Six Counties, fought to be free and to be under Irish control as well as any of those who came before us and fought here in the South of Ireland,' he said.
He cited the cross-border connection with cataract patients in Kerry, who are bused to Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast for treatment. He also added that northern people are 'honourable' when it comes to buying livestock in Kerry.
'What I know from my dealings with people from the North of Ireland, whether it was in marts around Kerry – in Cahersiveen, Castleisland or Kenmare – is that they are very honourable people. They come down here to buy cattle and they pay for our cattle and our sheep,' Deputy Healy-Rae said.
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