Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
619. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the research in relation to lowering the voting age to 16 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36402/23]
View answer620. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on lowering the voting age to 16 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36403/23]
View answer621. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the proposed debate on the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Right to Vote at 16) Bill 2021 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36407/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 619, 620 and 621 together.
The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future - 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 Programme for Government also committed to the establishment of a statutory, independent Electoral Commission. This was established on the 9 February this year and is known as An Coimisiún Toghcháin. Section 30(3) of Electoral Reform Act 2022 provides that An Coimisiún shall be independent in the performance of its functions under the Act..
Under Chapter 9 of Part 2 of the Act, An Coimisiún will conduct research on electoral policies and procedures with a view to making recommendations to the Minister and the Government as may be required from time to time. In this context, section 64 of the Act provides that An Coimisiún may conduct research on electoral policy and procedures while section 65 provides that it shall prepare an annual research programme following consultation with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Now that An Coimisiún has been established and is operational, I have written to An Coimisiún to request, among other matters, that the issue of reducing the age at which a person would be entitled to vote at elections and referendums held in the State be included in its first annual research programme which it will develop in line with the requirements of the 2022 Act.
The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Right to Vote at 16) Bill 2021 is a private members Bill sponsored by Deputy Thomas Pringle. The Bill was discussed in the Dáil on 23 June 2022 when it was agreed that the Bill be read a second time on 30 June 2023.
Any reform of our electoral laws in the future concerning the voting age will have regard to the outcome of any work carried out by An Coimisiún in due course.
