Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)

Tairgim: “Go léifear an Bille don Dara hUair anois.”

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.”

I thank my friends in the Social Democrats for the opportunity to bring what I believe to be potentially momentous legislation to Second Stage this evening. Before I continue, I am thrilled to welcome so many young people and youth workers to the Gallery, representing organisations like the National Youth Council of Ireland, Foróige, BeLong To and the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, ISSU. I thank them all for taking the time to come here today to witness what is a really important debate.

On a given day, colleagues across this House debate an eclectic mix of issues, with varying degrees of opinion and agreement. Today, I present this House today with an opportunity. It is an opportunity for us in the Thirty-fourth Dáil to make provisions for the most significant piece of electoral reform in recent history and allow the people of Ireland to have their say as to whether 16- and 17-year-olds can vote in future elections. I believe in young people. Together, we have the time to develop a legislative pathway towards a referendum, which makes this Government's proposed timed amendment, lodged today, quite disappointing. In July, the UK Government confirmed its intention to legislate for the reduction of the voting age there to 16 in time for the next general election. This means that approximately 48,000 young people in Northern Ireland will be entitled to vote in that election. As we know, that opportunity is not afforded to their counterparts in the Republic.

The UK is not alone. As the Minister will know, some 14 other countries have extended voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds, for municipal, European and-or general elections and referendums. Countries like Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Estonia, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland and Wales - the UK will soon join them - have extended the franchise to those aged 16. This is a list I would love Ireland to join. I take this opportunity to commend Senator Ruane and former Senator Warfield, Deputies McLoughlin, Byrne, McGreehan and former Deputy Thomas Pringle, who all introduced similar Bills on extending voting rights to those aged 16 in recent years. The Bill before the House is a little different, however. The advice from the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, tells us we cannot differentiate between local and general elections. Research tells us we should avoid partial enfranchisement. It is therefore incumbent on us to seize this opportunity to ensure voting rights are extended to 16-year-olds.

Adolescence is often a time of transition, a time of changes and a period of progression from childhood to adulthood. Some of the recent discourse in this House about young people focused on challenges associated with this time of our lives, whether about a lack of access to services or punitive discussions about antisocial behaviour orders, ASBOs, crime and fear. Many in this House are guilty of undermining the competency, maturity and resilience that young people are capable of possessing and, in doing so, risk categorising this demographic only as anti-social and impulsive. This could not be further from the truth. Now, more than ever, young people need champions in this House. They deserve advocates across this House who believe in them.

Let us look briefly at some of the ways young people have shown leadership in our country. These include the Fridays for Future endeavour, an example that awoke in us a critical consciousness about the reform needed when we are facing the most existential crisis in climate change and climate justice. More recently, young people have been at the forefront in advocating for disability rights, access to services and therapeutic assessment.

I have been a youth worker for nearly 17 years. In that time, I have worked with thousands of young people. These are young people who have opinions and ideas and who are political and hopeful. They are informed and care deeply about their community and society. Too many, however, are frustrated and disempowered. They are frustrated at being seen as a problem for the future, and disempowered in that their voice does not matter until they turn 18. What do we know? We know that at 16, young people can work and pay taxes. Yet they have no way of choosing how those taxes are allocated. People like us go to the ballot box. Young people do not have that opportunity. They can consent to medical treatment offered by the HSE at 16 years of age. At 17, a young person can drive an eight-seater car.

The question before us today is not one of maturity; it is equality. It is not a question of competency. It is about fairness.

Research in countries that have facilitated voting rights for 16-year-olds tell us two really important things. First, where young people at 16 have a vote, there has been no impact on the election results whatsoever. Second, young people at 16 are more likely to use their vote than if given it at 18. The Bill before us today, if passed in a referendum, would have no significant impact on the results of any election.

More importantly, we all have a bigger elephant in the room. Turnout at the most recent presidential election was just 45.8%. The general election turnout was 59.7%. The local elections in 2024 were 49.4% and this is in sharp contrast to the energy and enthusiasm for all elections I see when I visit schools around this country and when I work with youth services and youth groups. Ahead of every election, young people are talking about candidates, parties, manifestos or pledges but, more importantly, they are talking about the issues that face them in the same way they face the Minister of State or me but we can use our vote to express our opinion.

Electoral reform, as is proposed today, would be a seismic attempt to increase civic participation and, ultimately, voter turnout. The Taoiseach said this year that he was not against it. He did not have an issue with reducing it to 16 and he said that the Government would give that serious consideration. Here we are. It is time for that serious consideration. The first report of the Convention on the Constitution in 2013 recommended lowering the voting age to 16 and here, in 2025, we have that opportunity. It is an opportunity to instigate a process and to allow the people of Ireland to have their say.

The Government is proposing to delay this conversation for 12 months - for what, I do not know, and I look forward to the Minister of State's response. I am going to preface it by thinking that whatever is going to happen in that 12 months could happen on Committee Stage and I say that respectfully. I want to say to the 16- and 17-year-olds of this country that they are not a problem for the future. In fact, like many other countries, we believe in their voice and their vote and we trust them.

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