Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2012
395 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposals he has with regard to reducing the voting age; when he proposes to introduce any changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16374/12]
View answerI have no proposals at present to reduce the voting age. However in line with the Programme for Government commitment the Government proposes to establish a Constitutional Convention and one of the questions that will be addressed by the convention is the reduction of the voting age to 17.
I will consider proposals for change to electoral law in the light of any recommendation for change that might arise from this process.
396 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposals, if any, and the elections in which immigrants would be allowed to vote in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16375/12]
View answerSubject to age and residency requirements, a person's citizenship determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to vote, as follows:
all non-citizens are entitled to vote at local elections,
non-citizens who are citizens of EU Member States are entitled, in addition, to vote at European Parliament elections,
British citizens may vote in Dáil, European Parliament and local elections. While no agreements are currently in place, electoral law provides that citizens of other EU Member States, with whom Ireland may enter into an agreement to allow each other's citizens to vote in their respective National Parliaments, are also entitled to vote in Dáil elections, and
Irish Citizens alone are entitled to vote in Presidential elections and referendums.
While electoral law is subject to ongoing review I have no proposals at present to extend the current arrangements for voting by non-citizens.
