Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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200. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on extending voting rights in local and European elections to 16 year olds and 17 year olds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2302/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future contains a broad range of electoral reforms including a commitment to establish an independent, statutory Electoral Commission by the end of 2021. The Programme also contains a specific commitment to "Examine the Scottish experience of reducing the voting age to 17, in order to draw conclusions" within the lifetime of the current Dáil.

The Government has approved the drafting of an Electoral Reform Bill and the circulation of the Bill's general scheme to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for pre-legislative consideration. The general scheme addresses a number of Government commitments including in relation to the establishment of the Electoral Commission.

The general scheme has been circulated to the Joint Oireachtas Committee and has been published on my Department's website at .

It is proposed that one of the Electoral Commission's initial functions will be to conduct research on electoral policies and procedures with a view to providing advice to the Oireachtas and to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as may be required from time to time. Following its establishment, the Electoral Commission will be well placed, if requested, to examine, among other matters, the prospect of reducing the age at which a person would be entitled to vote at elections and referendums held in the State having particular regard to the experience in Scotland as well as in other countries where a reduction in the voting age has taken place.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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201. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on extending eligibility to vote in elections to Dáil Éireann to persons resident here who are not Irish citizens; extending eligibility to vote in elections to the European Parliament to persons resident here who are not citizens of an EU member state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2303/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Under Part II of the Electoral Act 1992, every person is entitled to be entered on the register of electors if that person:

- has reached the age of 18 years, and

- is ordinarily resident in a constituency in the State.

Subject to the age and residency requirements, a registered elector’s citizenship then determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to vote. Irish citizens alone are entitled to vote at all elections (i.e. local, European, Dáil, and presidential) and at referendums.

Under the Common Travel Area agreement, reciprocal arrangements are in place with regard to voting rights between Irish citizens resident in the United Kingdom and British citizens resident in Ireland. In this regard, British citizens resident in Ireland are also eligible to vote at elections to Dáil Éireann as well as at local elections.

Citizens of other Member States of the European Union may vote at European Parliament and local elections. Under European Union law, only citizens of the European Union have the right to vote (and stand for election) in European Parliament elections.

Non-EU citizens may vote at local elections only.

While electoral law is kept under ongoing review, I currently have no plans to change the existing arrangements in respect of voting rights.