Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It has been an excellent debate and I thank all Senators for their contributions. I will speak specifically to the amendments first and then I will come back in, if that is okay. I thank the Senators for tabling these amendments relating to An Coimisiún Toghcháin, considering and making recommendations in relation to the voting age. Chapter 9 of Part 2 empowers an coimisiún with a new policy research and advisory function. In consideration of an coimisiún’s independence, I do not intend to legislate to require it to carry out particular pieces of research. However, an coimisiún will be requested to carry out particular research projects which include consideration of the Scottish experience of lowering the voting age to 16. This will inform the Government’s consideration of the matter as it relates to Ireland.

As part of the electoral registration modernisation project set out in Part 3, section 94 provides for the creation of a pending electors list which will allow for the pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds, with their registration becoming active on the day they turn 18. I think that is a welcome development. While not accepting the amendments, I have given a commitment to Deputy Pringle on his Bill and to a number of others during Committee Stage that we will task the commission to give consideration to examining the Scottish experience and looking, as Senator Malcolm Byrne has said, at the experience in other jurisdictions regarding reducing the voting age. From my reading, it has been largely positive, but not always. It is not always the case that reducing the voting age will transform participation in our democratic system or electoral processes.

It is important that the commission does this in an impartial and independent way. The next scheduled electoral event will be the local and European elections in 2024. I would like to have direction on it and have a report back from an coimisiún early on because we need to inform and prepare ourselves and set the ground for that election if it is decided by the Oireachtas and Minister that we will reduce the voting age. That is critical.

Voting is not the only way young people can or do animate themselves and get involved in politics. I have established a young people's assembly running parallel to the Citizens' Assembly on biodiversity, specifically because I feel it is important young people are heard on biodiversity.

Regarding the issue around marine protected areas, young people campaigned on that and we heard their voices in that process and met them separately. The protection of basking sharks may not seem a huge issue but it was hugely important. I received a huge amount of submissions on that from young people and we moved on it to put in protection measures for basking sharks in Irish waters. These are just small areas within my remit.

On the reduction of public transport fares for young people, Comhairle na nÓg led that campaign and it was hugely successful. Look how popular it has been. I pay tribute because I was involved with our Comhairle na nÓg executive for ten years when I was a local authority member. Amazing work is done there around mental health, in particular. I have also met with the Irish Second-Level Students' Union and the National Youth Council of Ireland on this. I am hearing across the floor today that there seems to be broad political support for reducing the voting age. When the commission comes back having carried out its work, it will be important that we act on that.

On Senator Boylan's point about sitting down with Senator Warfield, we will definitely do that when time allows and I will try to do it before the Dáil rises for the summer.

On the broader issue of representation, the points have been well articulated by everyone here. I give a commitment that I will task the commission to give consideration to researching the possibility of reducing the voting age in Ireland based on the Scottish experience and looking at the experience in other jurisdictions. I think we should reduce the voting age. That is my personal view and has been the view of our party for a long time. Whether it benefits one political party or another is immaterial. What will happen is that politics will respond positively. That will be seen in changes in manifestos and in the candidates that are selected to run in elections. Hopefully there will be a lot more diversity and a lot more young people running. I am of the view that it can only be a positive thing for our democracy. I have a strong conviction on this and feel it is important that the commission be tasked with this work early on. We need certainty around it ahead of the next scheduled election event, which is the local and European elections of 2024. I thank all Senators for their contributions. They have been really valuable.