Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and I also welcome the young people in the Gallery. I want to speak briefly on the section. I wish to express my disappointment that an important measure may end up being long-fingered. Senators Warfield, Ruane and Mac Lochlainn have done great work in getting the Bill to this stage and they outlined very clearly why the measure is needed. I want to offer my full support. This is a positive and progressive step to expand and improve our democracy and I would not like to see it being delayed.

When we debated this issue in March 2017, it was agreed that the Bill would be paused for nine months to allow Senators and parties more time to deliberate on it. There was a lot of support for the idea in principle across the Chamber, which was fantastic. We were given the space to hear the arguments, look at the details and be ready for the Bill to return today. Approximately one year later, it appears as though the Bill will be needlessly stalled again. How many of those looking to delay the Bill actually used the time available to reach out to young people and youth organisations? In the nine months granted to look at this issue, did anyone sit down with the National Youth Council of Ireland, Foróige, students' unions or the Children's Rights Alliance to hear how the Bill could help to boost youth participation? We owe it to young people to take this issue seriously and I urge my colleagues across the House not to delay and cynically kick this to touch until after the next local elections.

The proposal was discussed at an Oireachtas committees as long ago as 2010. The Constitutional Convention debated and supported the proposal in 2016. That is why the Bill is before us today. There have been years of discussion. I urge colleagues to support the Bill. I appeal especially to Fianna Fáil Senators to support it. In 2017, Fianna Fáil produced a manifesto which explicitly promised to lower the voting age from 18 years to age to 16 in time for the 2019 local elections. It is only right that this promise be kept.

We often speak about youth disengagement from politics and the lack of trust in formal democracy. Political parties failing to live up to clear promises is a root cause of this problem. We cannot say one thing and do another. If we do, distrust in the system is an obvious response.

Young people are interested, capable and want to participate. Ireland can join a growing number of European states, including Austria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Malta and Norway, which have implemented or trialled a voting age of 16 years. In particular, the enthusiasm and record turnout level of the UK's first 16 year old voters in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum showed what can be achieved when we trust and empower young people. In response, the European Parliament officially backed voting at 16 years of age for the first time and urged member states to consider it for the 2019 European elections. We now have the opportunity to be ready for 2019 and to allow young people across Ireland to vote in local and European elections. I urge colleagues to support the Bill.