Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Will the Taoiseach give the matter some more thought? He can see how appalling the register is for every constituency, rather than simply his. Will the task force on active citizenship recommend that someone be on the register as soon as he or she turns 18, given that the data are now in place and it is possible to do so through current computer systems? Will the Taoiseach recommend that so that we might see some light at the end of that tunnel? Second, will the Taoiseach leave open the possibility, although I know his opinion on the matter, of lowering the voting age, given that it has been mooted in a number of quarters by people concerned about low voter turnout? Third, is the Taoiseach interested in any of the initiatives taken in other countries, Switzerland being the most famous, where citizens' initiatives are allowed to bring about referenda on amending the constitution, not without considerable preparation and collecting of signatures? Is that something the Taoiseach would welcome as a way of engaging people further in the democratic process and perhaps getting people into the habit of casting their franchise?

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