Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Deputy Brian Stanley, for bringing forward the Bill. In January 2013 the first ballot of the members of the Constitutional Convention saw delegates vote in favour of lowering the voting age from 18 years to 16. At the end of March 2013 the first report of the convention called on the Government to hold a referendum on a reduction of two years in the voting age. In July 2013 the Government gave a commitment to do this and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government at the time, former Deputy Phil Hogan, indicated that the Government had committed to holding a referendum before the end of 2015 on a proposal to amend the Constitution to provide for a voting age of 16 years, for which there was a general welcome at the time. On mature reflection, the Government decided that it would look again at the issue, as the Minister of State indicated.

The Minister of State spoke about the possible implications this change would have for policy, the age of majority and so on. The same concerns were articulated in the past. If we go back a couple of hundred years, there was an opinion that working people would lack maturity and education, meaning that the lords of the land were the only one who could vote. I have just come from the launch of Sinn Féin's commemoration of the 1916 Rising. In the 1918 election women had the ability to vote for the first time, as up until then the argument had been they should not have a vote because they lacked maturity, were not grounded in society and were too emotional. The opinion was that they would not really understand the complexities of elections and so on and as a result, they were disenfranchised for years. The Suffragettes campaigned against this and I am thankful that the disenfranchisement of women is now a thing of the past.

We would be horrified to think somebody could be denied the right to vote because of his or her colour, creed, religious background or where he or she came from, but there is still a notion that persons aged 16 or 17 years lack maturity. Much of this is nonsense. Many people who vote for parties represented in this House lack maturity.

They certainly lack consistency. Why would they continue to go out and vote for people who are undermining their income, wrecking their communities and destroying their livelihoods? Yet one could conceivably argue that they have done that by voting for the bigger parties which, like tweedle dee and tweedle dum, have carried out the same policies over the years.

We can look on today's debate as being a start, but this matter has been going on for a long time. The Minister of State is out of step, not only with young people in his own party but also with Irish youth generally. It is a common theme in Sinn Féin conferences, that youth sections want to be listened to. They are interested in politics and want to step up to the plate. Those aged 16 and 17 are as interested in these matters as older people of all ages. It is a nonsensical argument to say that we will look at civics classes in school. We do need, however, by all means to simplify what is involved concerning elections.

What does someone do who is going out to vote for the first time? There used to be gardaí on the door and an officious approach was adopted. For an older generation who were not necessarily happy at school, including those who were abused and a considerable amount of people in Irish society were affected by that, the idea of having to vote in a school venue is, thus, not necessarily a welcoming one. We should examine polling venues and ensure they are more suitable. I would argue that people are more comfortable voting in community centres.

I am disappointed that the Government is attempting to deny 120,000 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in the next election. What are we afraid of as a society? We are out of step with most other progressive countries around the world. Is the Government afraid of the teenage vote? In Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain that age cohort is increasingly faced with the bleak option of pursuing mickey-mouse schemes, including JobBridge. In many cases, third level education is unaffordable so emigration is the only option. We know the impact that has had because we can see it in our own communities where there are insufficient young people to field football teams.

Despite all the Government spin about job creation and the end of austerity, young people continue to face bleak prospects. They are among the most negatively affected by the Government's austerity programme. Perhaps that is why we do not give them the vote. If we are seeking honesty, we should throw that element into the mix. Young people deserve the right to vote but the Government's refusal to accept that has been strongly criticised by youth organisations, including the National Youth Council of Ireland and the Union of Students in Ireland. They are in the frontline dealing with young people every day and, consequently, they are responding to what they hear at the coalface.

We trust 16 year olds to drive mopeds and motorcycles of limited engine power, but we supposedly do not trust them to complete a ballot paper. We trust 17 year olds to drive cars but not to pick their local TDs or councillors. I do not understand that logic. I would argue that the age limit for electing the President also needs to be reduced.

Seventeen year olds can leave home to attend college. They can study for a degree in medicine, physics, journalism or even politics, yet they cannot have a say in who runs their Government. Young people who are involved in this campaign should show the Government that there is a demand to lower the voting age.

The Minister of State referred to Scotland where 16 year olds were allowed to vote in last year's referendum on independence. I did not hear any criticism of lowering the voting age there from either the "Yes" or the "No" side. They all thought that this was hugely positive and it gave added energy to the campaign. Looking at what is happening in this State, we could do with some of that energy as well. It energised and mobilised young people to engage with the democratic system. Surely all politicians should be in favour of that. We should be making it easier for people to vote and encouraging them to be involved.

Political awareness at a younger age may lead to more political engagement and a greater connection between young people's involvement in a variety of political forums, such as student councils and student union activity. There are many positive aspects to lowering the voting age. An extension of voting rights should be combined with appropriate electoral and civic education. I would not limit that to teenagers, because I think that across society we could promote an understanding of what is involved.

In the past, working people, including women, were disenfranchised. The same arguments were made at that time for extending the franchise. In the 21st century we should encourage as many people as possible to vote. One of the key components of any democratic society involves people using their vote. This is such an opportunity and I welcome the fact that the Minister of State is not opposing the Bill.

Let us have an honest debate and examine this issue. We should step up to the plate for those young people who are genuinely interested in politics and want to see a new, inclusive society. If we want such a society, we will have to give them the vote.

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