Anybody in Fermanagh and Omagh who wants to vote for the next Irish president should be eligible to do so, Sinn Fein’s Marty McColgan has said. 
“What better way to bring equality to Ireland than to let people vote for the Irish president,” said at Tuesday night’s Council meeting.
Most members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council backed his party’s call by supporting the recommendation by the Constitution Convention, which makes recommendations to the Oireachtas, to allow all Irish citizens to vote in the next and all future presidential elections. But unionists did not. 
During the meeting at Enniskillen Townhall Councillor McColgan described the Irish presidency as “a unifying office” and spoke of the importance in uniting people. 
“Voting for the Irish president could be an act of healing,” he said. 
But the Democratic Unionist’s Errol Thompson said it would come as “no surprise” that he considers himself a “British citizen” and would not be supporting Sinn Fein’s motion. 
Sinn Fein’s John Feely said: “I don’t see why I shouldn’t vote for my president.”
SDLP’s John Coyle said former Irish President Mary McAleese has become “world renowned” in her work on human rights and praised current President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, who visited Enniskillen last year.
Ulster Unionist’s Alex Baird said his party did not take part in the Constitutional Convention as it believed the work pertained to the Republic of Ireland and not Northern Ireland.
He said the recommendation has ramifications for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in relation to the Good Friday Agreement.
“The proposal to me flies in the face of democracy as it would create a situation of one person two votes, for example, one in the Republic of Ireland and the other in the country of residence where they pay tax. The old adage ‘the man or woman who pays the piper calls the tune’ applies,” he said. 
With 23 voting for the motion and 12 voting against it was carried and the Council will now write a letter to Taoiseach Enda Kenny outlining its support.