John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are very welcome. It is brilliant to hear real voices talking about the real issues. It makes a pleasant change. I represent Wicklow. A large event was organised by Wicklow Comhairle na nÓg last Friday and was attended by more than 100 young people. They broke into workshops, and I had the privilege of sitting in on some of them and hearing about some of the real issues. It is great to hear the witnesses articulate many of the issues raised at that meeting. The issues included everything from mental health, the illegal invasion of Ukraine, hate speech, climate and biodiversity to drug use and a lot of other issues. The meeting was in line with what the witnesses identified as the real issues.

I want to pick up on a couple of points. Reducing the voting age to 16 is something I firmly believe should happen. The case of Scotland was raised by Mr. Galvin. The level of engagement by young people, the education built around that and the turnout on the initial day was fascinating to watch.

A significant piece of work was done in Leinster House in the previous Dáil term when a Bill tabled by my one of my colleagues, Senator Fintan Warfield, to reduce the voting age to 16 worked its way through the Seanad. Unfortunately, it did not progress. To see the level of engagement by young people in that process was fascinating. Having the witnesses before us today shows there is a level of knowledge. In my view, the witnesses are the very reason the age should be reduced to 16. That is not to be patronising; I am saying this because they are so articulate in terms of the issues. From an educational perspective, getting young people engaged in decision-making is something that should happen.

To follow up on the question of whether the witnesses think the voting age should be reduced, would reducing the voting age to 16 force the people who make legislation at European and State level sit up and listen to people like the witnesses? I have heard from young people that they speak, but there is a perception that the people who make the legislation are not listening. Would reducing the voting age help to change that and ensure the voices of young people would be heard, listened to and acted upon?

Over the past three months we have seen the fallout from the horrific invasion of Ukraine. That has also shaped a debate in this State around Irish neutrality. We have predominantly middle-aged people talking about our neutrality. If a decision was taken to drop our neutrality, the young people who are not making that decision would be affected. It would be fascinating to hear a young person's perspective on neutrality. The witnesses are the sort of young people who, in such a scenario, would be sent to the front line in a war situation as, unfortunately, we are seeing in Ukraine. I would like to hear their views on whether young people are engaged with and aware of the debate on neutrality.

I thank the witnesses. They have done very well today. The issues they have identified on behalf of their peers are consistent with issues raised by many of the people I had the pleasure of meeting the other day.