Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

First, I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Farrelly, on bringing forward this proposal, leading on it, setting this out and being a champion on this issue.

I am very disappointed by the Government's response of kicking this issue down the road. We have young people who really want to engage with the democratic process and have their say. People who are aged 16 and 17 now will be aged 17 and 18 a year from now. By the time the Government finally gets its act together, they will be aged 18 and over, so this matter is time sensitive and we need to make progress on it. The Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, stated recently that if the Social Democrats brought forward legislation, the Government would give it serious consideration. I do not think a timed amendment is serious consideration. If the Government was genuinely serious, it would engage with us, move this Bill forward to Committee Stage, listen to both the arguments put forward and to young people and genuinely engage. We could do that over a number of months and have a debate on this important issue. Introducing a timed amendment, a route the Government also took in respect of our Bill in the Seanad a number of weeks ago, is the wrong approach. I ask the Government to reconsider its approach to this and actually give this issue serious consideration, listen to the arguments, to young people and the Opposition and work together on this important issue.

As my colleague said, there is now a global movement to reduce the voting age. We have seen it in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Germany, Malta, Nicaragua, Scotland, Wales and Greece. There is a movement across the world to increase participation among young people by lowering the voting age. We know the UK Government intends to lower the voting age. In recent weeks in the Netherlands, D66, which won the election there, put the ability to vote at 16 at the heart of its manifesto. This will happen here too, and we will get there despite the resistance on the part of the Government.

It is worth looking at some of the evidence. There are three strong arguments in particular. One concerns increasing civic participation and lowering the barriers to registration. Research demonstrates that there is a trickle-up effect on participation when 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to vote. It provides for younger people to not only engage in civic life but also to participate in conversation about politics and local issues. This is particularly true given that many 16- and 17-year-olds still live at home with their families, where discussions and debates take place with other family members and where there are also then fewer barriers to them engaging and registering. There is support and encouragement to be part of those discussions.

We also know that there is increased turnout when the voting age is reduced. A detailed study on voter ages and habits in Denmark found that 18-year-olds were more likely to cast their first vote than 19-year-olds and that every extra month of age saw a decline in first vote turnout. These results demonstrate that by lowering the voting age we are likely to see a higher turnout in this cohort. Also, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections would allow them to vote before leaving home or school and establish the lifelong habit of voting. It is very likely that people who are turning 18 today may not get their first chance to vote until they are 21. According to the evidence, at that stage those in this cohort are less likely to continue the habit of voting because their first vote will happen much later. Data from Austria shows that extending voting rights to people after they turn 16 promotes higher turnout for first-time voting and over the course of their lives. Research also shows that for the first two elections one is eligible to vote in establishes that attitude towards voting and the lifelong pattern of voting. The Austrian experience also that demonstrates 16- and 17-year-olds are ready to participate and want to participate, and are eager to do so.

Scotland extended the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds in the independence referendum. More than 100,000 young people came out and voted in that referendum. Following the success of that, the Scottish Government decided to lower the voting age for Scottish parliamentary elections. There is strong evidence in neighbouring countries and right around the world about increasing participation by involving young people in this.

In my constituency of Cork South-Central, young people want to be involved and want their views to be heard. I have been travelling around schools in my constituency since the election. Just last week I visited Carrigaline Community School and talked to young people there about this matter. The majority of them want the right to vote and to have their say. At the moment, issues that affect young people are ignored by politicians because those people cannot vote. I refer to issues such as public transport for young people, student fees and housing. Many of the issues that directly affect young people in this country are not discussed on the floor of this Chamber or at local councils because young people do not have the right to vote, and they are not heard by politicians. This has to change now. I urge the Government to reverse its position, to engage with us and to give young people the right to vote in elections.

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