Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I referred in my contribution on Second Stage to the Government's rationale for selecting 21 years as the proposed age at which a citizen would become eligible for election to the office of President. As I said earlier, the recommendation that the age of eligibility for election to the office of President should be reduced from 35 years, came from the first report of the Constitutional Convention. In its consideration of the question of whether the presidential term of office should be reduced, the matter of age at which a citizen could become President, arose. While recommending that the age threshold should be reduced the convention did not recommend a specific lower age to which it should be reduced.

Different views have been put forward as to what an appropriate age should be. Some hold the view that 18 is the appropriate age - as does Deputy Murphy - while others are of the view that we should leave the age at 35. Reasonable arguments can be put forward on all sides. Of the 24 European states which directly or indirectly elect presidents, six have an age threshold of 18, seven have an age threshold of 35, ten have an age threshold of 40 and one state has an age threshold of 50. Against this background, I am satisfied that the Government's approach in linking the age of eligibility requirement to that which applies to the case of the Dáil and the European Parliament, is the logical and, therefore, the appropriate approach. I cannot accept the amendment.

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