Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will deal first with a couple of points in response to some of the comments that have been made. Some argue that young people aged 16 and 17 years should not have the right to vote because they are not fully aware of all the issues. Unfortunately, it is clear in listening to some of the comments made in the Chamber that some Senators are not aware of all the issues. This legislation has been drafted by Senator Fintan Warfield and I am very honoured to co-sign it with Senator Lynn Ruane. Intentionally, it would not require a referendum to be held. That is why it was designed for local and European elections. As such, it would be in keeping with the practice across Europe, including in such countries as Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Malta, Norway and, most famously as far as people in Ireland are concerned, Scotland where, in the case of the independence referendum, it was so successful and uplifting. In all of these countries, it was introduced on an incremental or trial basis to see how matters progressed. That is the spirit of the legislation drafted by Senator Fintan Warfield.

I was at an event in my home town on Monday evening which had been organised by Foróige. A number of young people had consulted fellow students in their schools and come to put to us the issues of importance for them in the area in which they lived on the Inishowen Peninsula. It was a tremendous meeting. They listed all of the issues that mattered to them having consulted democratically in their schools and in dialogue with their communities. For me to go to that meeting, at which all of us, as public representatives, gave our responses, listen and talk to those young people about the importance of what they had to say and then to come here and say they are not ready to vote would be downright patronising. Some of the parties which will deny 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote were represented at that meeting too.

The other point that was made was about populism. Without a proper debate on the issue, it is likely that the majority of Irish people would, unfortunately, deny younger people the right to vote. As such, it is not popular to bring forward this legislation, but it is the right thing to do. It is the leaderly thing to do. I received an e-mail from a young person during the week. We all received lots of e-mails pushing for our support on this matter, which was great to see. It was clear that the person concerned was very socially aware in raising issues of public concern, including the current humanitarian crisis. The phrase in the e-mail that stood out was, "All I can do is hope my parents vote for someone with the same compassion for these people as me". They have to hope all of these issues of concern will be addressed by their parents. That is not right; it is wrong.

Comhairle na nÓg, the National Youth Council of Ireland, Foróige, the Young Voices programme and the future leaders programme are some of the organisations and programmes calling for 16 and 17 year olds to have the right to vote. We already have the infrastructure in place. I met the young people mentioned under the auspices of Foróige and most public representatives have met youth councils or Foróige in their areas in recent years too. If we believe, having met them, that they should not have the right to vote, we are patronising gits. That is all we are if we think they do not have the right to vote. We want to listen to their concerns, but will not give them the right to vote. It is the most basic, fundamental issue of democracy. The Proclamation in the foyer of Leinster House was in large part about extending the franchise to everybody, male and female, regardless of class. It was the core component and core battle in our democracy. Somebody said this was a republic. While it is a republic, the battle continues to extend the franchise to everybody. It is not popular for us to say it and it is not a huge vote winner, but it would be the right thing to do.

The Constitutional Convention was established and one can argue that, like a lot of reports and committees, it was done to kick things down of the road. However, it was a good forum which made recommendations. Not only are Governments kicking cans down the road, the structures they establish to do so are dismissed. They are taking it even further down the road to deny, in this case, citizens their say and chance to be involved in a real and tangible fashion. We all read the information provided by the independent Library and Research Service of the Houses in preparation for debates. It conducts tremendous independent research and analysis. What stood out in that research was that in all of the European countries to which I referred where this measure has been introduced the evidence was clear that the younger people engaged in the voting process, the more likely it was that they would continue to vote. We complain about the low turnout at local and European elections. This legislation has been designed to increase turnout and create energy. It addresses even 18 to 24 year olds and perhaps those who are older by saying, "Here are all these 16 and 17 year olds who are energised and excited about the ability to vote and perhaps they can be excited too." We saw that happen in Scotland where it was very uplifting to see young people involved in the debates.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael really need to reflect on what they are doing and the phrase "new politics" because all I see when it comes to anything that means leadership, debate and a difficult decision is the kicking of everything further down the road. It is kicked to a committee or a fine-spangled forum and decisions are not being made. The parties are working together again and again. Look at the issue of Seanad reform and the legislation Senators are trying to put together to ensure Members would be elected directly by the people to the greatest extent possible. It would not require a constitutional referendum, yet the debate on the legislation is dragging on and going nowhere. Even in the reform of the House we are going nowhere. We had another committee which was tasked to look at an issue. Not only did it make recommendations, it drafted legislation. There are Senators who are trying to advance that Bill, but they are being stymied. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to look at themselves in terms of the credibility of the Houses. There comes a moment when one must make a decision and stop kicking everything down the road. The young people in the Visitors Gallery have observed it again today. I hope, when they are older, have the franchise and are perhaps in these Houses, they will do politics in a very different way.