Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle for bringing the Bill to the Chamber today and his staff for pulling it together for presentation to the Dáil. I am very disappointed as we were given the indication that the Government would accept the Bill but it seems we will now have to wait until 2023 for a Second Reading. Surely something like this could be looked at for the Electoral Reform Bill 2022, even at this late stage. Last week the Government could introduce a late amendment that had not been discussed on Committee Stage. It concerned parties being allowed to run lotteries because a question was raised about Fianna Fáil not being able to run a lottery. A citizen challenged the position because the party is not a non-governmental organisation and does not have charitable status. An important matter like this has been discussed with the National Youth Council of Ireland and secondary school students and it would have been positive to introduce the provision into the Electoral Reform Bill 2022.

I intended writing a contribution for this debate but I received a letter from a young person called Erica, so I will read it into the record on behalf of that young voice. It deals with many of the issues raised by Deputy Pringle. Erica states:

I am writing to you as your constituent to ask you to support the vote at 16 Bill which will be debated in the Dáil on Thursday, 23 June. As a young person I believe that I should be given the right to vote for the following reasons: 1. With the introduction of leaving cert politics and society and with easy access to information on a wide range of issues and politics via the Internet, young people are very well-informed and have the necessary tools to make well-informed decisions.

2. Young people today are highly educated and study a wide range of subjects. They are very capable of understanding the political system.

3. The earlier young people engage in politics, the greater the chance that they will sustain a lifelong interest and commitment to voting and participation in the democratic process.

4. At 18, young people move away from home to college, training or work and they then fall through the administrative cracks. Lowering the voting age would very likely increase voter participation among the 18-25 age group.

5. Young people are mature enough as it has been shown that there is not a considerable difference between an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old in terms of mental capacity for thought and development.

6. Sixteen is the age that young people gain many rights and responsibilities in society; for example, they can leave school, seek full-time employment, pay taxes and learn to drive.

7. The constitutional convention agreed that it was preferable to extend the right to vote to [those aged] 16.

8. The European Parliament has endorsed a report calling for the voting age for European elections to be set at 16. Austria and Scotland, as well as parts of Germany and Switzerland, have already lowered their voting age.

9. The citizens' assembly in 2018 voted 80% in favour of reducing the voting age.

10. Young people should have a say on issues which will directly affect their future such as climate change.

The final point is one of the biggest issues facing younger people in particular over the next 40 or 50 years. She concludes by stating:

As your constituent and a future voter, I would ask that you please respect the voices of young people and allow us a say on issues that affect us, our communities and our future. You can do this by supporting the vote at 16 Bill and by contributing to the debate on Thursday.

That is from Erica, who I am sure will be very disappointed to hear that the Bill will be delayed for a period when it could be dealt with much more quickly.

That is what I wanted to bring to the debate. I welcome the representatives of the National Youth Council of Ireland and other students to the Dáil and I hope they are not too disappointed. We will try to push on with this Bill over the next period so we can have the legislation in place for the 2025 Dáil elections, if we last that long.

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