Dr. Jane Suiter:

In addition to noting which countries have such a study, it is important to look at how they use it. Certain countries might have it but no one in the political system looks at it. If we do it, and it comes through this committee, it is more of a public thing. What is important is that politicians, parties and interest groups look at it and recognise that it is a valuable resource to them. In some countries, the study is undertaken by academics via a research council and published in academic-type publications, where it might not inform internal debate as much as it might. I would like to see the members here use it and bring us in to talk about it more.

I concur with the comments about running around trying to secure ad hoc funding. We are researchers not salesmen but we must go around as though we are trying to make sales.

As Professor Farrell and Dr. Reidy noted, the crucial thing is its independence. The way one does that is through peer review and multi-institutional co-operation. Three different institutions are represented here, for instance, namely, UCD, UCC and DCU.

I agree with Professor Farrell about the voting age. Dr. Reidy has done some research on this and can discuss it further, but crucially 16 year olds are at home with their parents and when their families go out to vote, they will too. By the time they are 18 years, they may no longer live at home. Starting voting at 16 years gets them into the habit earlier than at 18 years.

On women, minorities and young people, part of it is making it easier to vote but much of it is the numbers on the register. Our register is such a mess and we must make it much easier to register. It is not easy to add one's name to the register. The student unions put in Trojan work on voter registration prior to the marriage equality and eighth amendment referendums. When one is a student, there is a matter of where one is registered to vote, but it is also tricky to get on the register, which closes quite a bit in advance of the election. I do not know why that is the case, as in other countries, it is possible for a person to add his or her name to the register up to the day before an election. That is one issue around access that should be considered, although this might be a matter for an electoral commission rather than this forum.

Dr. Reidy has done a lot of work on younger voters and may care to speak on this.