Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all think about local democracy, schools, communities and the young people who came forward calling for gun control following the mass shooting in the high school in Parkland in Florida. The latter group were taking on the most redundant stereotypes of young people as apathetic and stuck on smartphones and they were the adults in their community in that situation. They are in conversation around lowered voting ages across the United States.

Senator Bacik mentioned the Vótáil 100 events taking place this year and on 17 April the Seanad Chamber will play host to a debate among transition year students as part of the events. We would all support such an event and we should dwell on the irony of inviting young people to this Chamber as part of a suffrage programme while trying to deny them their suffrage. Young people are mature enough to debate societal issues in their Parliament but we are telling them not to come anywhere near us if they want voting rights or to truly have their say.

Senator Craughwell mentioned the promises of referenda but the referendum to lower the age at which a citizen can run for President was one of the greatest defeats of any referendum in the history of this State. If the Government really wanted to pass that referendum in 2019 it should pass this Bill today, and follow Malta's example, where they lowered the voting age for local and European elections two years ago and have now moved to lower it across all elections.