THE LABOUR PARTY’S presidential election candidate says that Irish emigrants should retain the right to vote in Irish elections for up to ten years after leaving the country.

Speaking at an Irish community event in London yesterday, Michael D Higgins said he came from a background of emigration.

His two sisters moved to Manchester while aged in their 20s, and he lived in Manchester and in the US for a period after he graduated from what was then University College Galway.

He spoke about the impact emigrants had on their families back home, saying they sent essential money home to their families and played a “central contribution in the development of our country”.

He suggested that people who are on the register or entitled to be on it should retain the right to vote for between five and ten years after they emigrated.

When launching his campaign in May, Higgins said one of the roles of the presidency should be to invite the Irish diaspora to ‘reconnect’ with with Ireland.

Poll: Should Irish people living abroad be able to vote for the presidency? >

Column: Emigrated? Well, good luck coming home again… >

Read: Higgins leads two Áras opinion polls but Labour’s support falls >