Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I welcome this Bill. Much work has been done at committee level - the Minister was present for it - because we truly believe this is a chance to create much fairer, more honest and accessible elections for the future and to have a register that is truly reflective of the electorate.

One of the key issues we need to address is opening voting up to younger people. In recent years, we have seen that more and more young people are much more engaged with politics and the political system than would have been the case in the past. This is welcome, as is the inclusion of politics as a subject up to leaving certificate level in schools. There is a need, however, for an electoral commission to look at making the process of voting much easier. I have to wonder about this because I remember a man said to me during the last general election that his son's child benefit was cut off when he reached the age of 18 but he was not automatically registered to vote. One arm of the State was able to recognise when a person reached 18 years and cut off a benefit, but that same individual could not vote in the election. We need to work on those kinds of things. We need more integrated thinking and more working together to prevent things like this from happening.

As I said, we see more young people engaged in politics and more determined to be so. I see it with my two daughters. They are much more engaged when it comes to the climate change movement, Black Lives Matter, the repeal the eighth campaign and marriage equality. Young people these days are educating themselves more. They are listening to and watching social media and what their friends are saying. They are having discussions and debates. Young people need to be respected; that is something we all agree on in this House. We should take them seriously and take real steps to include them. That is why we believe the voting age should be 16 in order to reach out to younger people and to listen to them. These young people are our future. Let us give them a say in decision-making.

Alongside making voting more accessible to young people, we need to look at expanding voting in areas that traditionally have low turnouts. We know that less affluent areas have a lower turnout and people in them are less likely to vote. We need to work on this because when people in those communities who need a voice do not vote, they lose that voice. In my constituency of Cork North-Central, there was a very good turnout in the last general election. I was delighted to top the poll. It was one of the proudest days of my life but it also sent out a clear message. I was the first person from Knocknaheeny to be elected to the Dáil. One of the things I think about all the time, when I am in St. Vincent's field or walking around the area, is that if I can get elected, anyone from Knocknaheeny, Farranree, Mayfield, The Glen or any working-class area can. Unfortunately, when we look at previous local elections, there were very poor turnouts. We lost many good councillors, not just Sinn Féin councillors but others, who were very strong voices for their communities. That is why we need to encourage more and more people to ensure they are registered to vote and ensure they come out to vote.

Some areas in my constituency have a voter turnout of 24%, 25% or 26%. That is what this Bill needs to address and that is what we need to work together on to ensure it addresses that. It is important people come out to vote so that they have a voice. While Deputies take on a role at national level, we also need politicians, such as councillors on the ground, at local level. You need a strong political team, whether it is councillors, Senators, Deputies or MEPs, to have people's voices heard. We are currently talking about climate and the consequences for Earth. That is why we need everyone to have their voices heard so that people have their say on big issues such as this.

This is a real opportunity to deliver real electoral reform. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. That is why we want to make sure it works.

At the last general election, Cork Votes did voter registration. One place it did this was outside the Cork City Library on the Grand Parade. The queues down the Grand Parade, of mostly young people but not all, showed the interest that is there. It should be commended on that but we need more work on that. That is why the electoral commission is so vital to get so many more people lined up.

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