Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will proceed.

I am very proud as leader of the Civil Engagement group to support the legislation which Senator Lynn Ruane is co-sponsoring with Senator Fintan Warfield, for which I commend them. It is both excellent and necessary. In the limited time we have available I will address some of the points made.

We heard a great deal of talk about education. The Government has, rightly, been commended for the introduction of civic, social and political education in schools. I also commend the work of Mr. Eoghan Gilroy who has led a great deal of the effort in this regard, as well as some of the messages and testimonies we have heard from the secondary school union, the National Youth Council and the USI. Anybody who has engaged with these groups will know how ready they are and of the depth of their analysis. I will not be able to get across the strength of their arguments, but they are many. They cover the most practical points in terms of the registration process and how we ensure people get into the system and do not fall out. For example, there is a huge issue where people do not register because they may have temporary addresses when they reach 18 years of age.

One of the points raised about civic, social and political education concerned the need to learn through doing. The Bill provides an opportunity to ensure civic, social and political education is partly about doing.People will have the experience of voting, discussing their vote and engaging.

Senator Coffey spoke about short-term thinking. I assure him that the dangers of short-term thinking are not an age related issue. He spoke about having six months off school. Unfortunately, the Irish public will often say "Yes" to tax cuts. I would hope that after longer reflection they might decide to look to long-term interests.

A further benefit is the message this proposal sends. It presents an opportunity for collective debate and engagement of students while they are still in secondary school in a system and a country that too often individualises people. People are moving to a period of individualisation. They are thrown out on their own into the world. That is a time of collective engagement when people can learn from each other. There can have peer-to-peer exchange on, for example, how to analyse and scrutinise fake news and messages. This is crucial.

Let us look at the actual proposal. It relates to local and European elections. We have heard about young people being connected to the community. What more meaningful connection to the community than their participation in local elections. The message would be that they shape their environment, beginning outwards from their most immediate environment. They could vote, have a say and shape their community. It is crucial that people get that message in terms of local elections.

The other elections are the European Parliament elections. Lest this House were considered to be over-reaching, the European Parliament has requested that nation states would endeavour to give the opportunity to vote to 16 year olds. The European Parliament wants 16 year olds involved in the decision of who sits in it. It realises the future of Europe is crucially changing all the time. If the amendment is accepted, there is a real danger that young people will not be enfranchised in the next elections in 2019. Those elections will be at a time of rising right-wing populism and talks of a multi-speed Europe and may shape the future direction of Europe. In the case of Europe, in particular, it is not only that 16 year olds need the right to vote but we as a society need 16 year olds to vote. It is crucial that they are engaged. We heard the messages from Scotland. No one could not be inspired by young voters such as Eva O'Donovan.