Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend all of the young people who have expressed their aspirations to our political representatives over the past week.

I introduced First Stage of this Bill in the Seanad on 12 July 2016. I remember it well as it was my first piece of legislation. I worked alongside Senator Lynn Ruane and felt immense pride in being in a position to introduce the legislation. I again thank the National Youth Council of Ireland for its constant support and note that its work, long before my time in Leinster House, inspired this Bill. I do not take my role as a legislator lightly. I believe that the work we do has a substantial impact on people's lives and on their role in shaping our society.

I introduced Second Stage on 29 March 2017. As we know, the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties voted for a motion that delayed the progress of the legislation in 2018. They stated that they needed more time to consider the Bill despite the issue having been debated in public forums on a regular basis, despite both parties having policies that support a lower voting age, despite the issue being considered at the Constitutional Convention, and despite the Bill being on the Order Paper for nine months before First Stage commenced.

Before the Bill was heard in this House I wrote to representatives in both parties and sought a meeting to discuss the Bill. Unfortunately, I did not receive a response. During the Second Stage debate in this House the Opposition en massecalled out the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties for their cynicism, and shared that opinion. Once Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil united to pass a motion that would delay the Bill, I set about working with both of them so that we would utilise our time and ensure that Senators were satisfied. I wrote to the then Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, the current Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the two Ministers of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputies English and Phelan, and Deputy Cowen. Eventually, I met the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, and Senator Neale Richmond. I thank them both for their assistance.

For nearly 12 months Fianna Fáil, in particular, has failed to engage in any dialogue on the Bill. That leads me to believe that the motion it tabled today to delay proceedings, that has thankfully been ruled out of order, was a cynical attempt to again delay this issue, having previously delayed it on Second Stage. That concludes my remarks.