Proposal to reduce voting age to 16 for Local and European elections

Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne is proposing that the voting age be reduced to 16 for Local and European elections in 2024.

Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Byrne from Wexford said: “What I am proposing is that, for the local and European elections in 2024, that we look at reducing the voting age to 16.

“Young people have illustrated their maturity in recent years on everything from climate change and human rights to community youth facilities. I would like to salute the youth wings of all of our political parties, Ógra Fianna Fáil along with their other party counterparts have made a significant contribution to policies at a national level.

“The reduction in voting age has been in place in a number of other European countries and it has worked quite well. Austria was the first EU country to do it in 2007 but it is also in place in Argentina, in Brazil, in Scotland, in Wales and in a lot of the German Länder.

“We should encourage youth participation in politics and build a new deal for young people as we come out of Covid” concluded Senator Byrne.