Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Whether the Department is willing to make this commitment or if it needs to be made in legislation, the amendment has the merits the Deputies described, particularly as regards younger people. It is obvious there are many issues affecting young people, for example, mental health, employment and major economic decisions the country makes during periods of growth and contraction. We should not stand over the idea of excluding younger people's voices principally because we established the citizens' assembly and there was a recommendation on this matter. The Government should take one of two steps, those being, act on that recommendation or state that it disagrees with it and has a democratic mandate from over-18s. We should not sit on the fence.

Many British citizens who have been resident in this country for a long time will have seen a reduction in their voting rights as a result of Brexit, in that they can no longer vote for Members of the European Parliament despite living here.

They are also excluded from general elections. I would like to see a threshold whereby long-standing residents could vote without necessarily giving up their citizenship. Citizenship is an expensive process and people often have to put other costs ahead of that. Will the Minister of State at least give a commitment that the electoral commission will be asked to do this, if it is not included in the legislation?