Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----in the electoral commission, so it would not be political, but if one is entitled to vote, one should know how to register to vote. This is important for the democratic process. It is not just about setting up the commission, we need to give it the staff, the resources and the time to reform. We are working with a 19th century system in the 21st century. We need everybody to be registered to vote.

An issue that came up recently when I was consulting some young people on lowering the voting age was that they said that referendums affect the future of their life. We have tried but failed in our efforts to make amendments here to lower the voting age to 16 for the European and local elections and a referendum was not required. There is a greater onus on the State with referendums announced for next May and we must ensure that young people are registered to vote and that they are informed about what they are voting on. An electoral commission is the key body to play this role. I encourage the Minister to establish it without delay.