Time for 16 and 17-year olds to be given the vote, say Soc Dems

The British government has given 16 and 17-year olds the right to vote in elections, and now the Social Democrats are calling on the government in Dublin to give Irish teenagers the same freedom.

The Social Democrats, themselves turning 10 this week, launched a bill in May which looked to reduce the voting age.

With the Dáil having just gone on it’s summer break, TD Aidan Farrelly says he hopes to get the government’s attention on the issue once it returns.

The Kildare TD said “in the next UK election, young people in Strabane will be able to cast a ballot, yet those in Lifford won’t be able to vote in November’s presidential election, despite being mere metres away from each other.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way in future. Legislation that I introduced in May – the Reduction of the Voting Age to Sixteen Years Bill 2025 – provides a pathway to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 in Ireland.”

Farrelly said “people aged 16 and 17 are as civically informed as their peers aged over 18, but are unjustly restricted when it comes to democratic participation.”

“If young people can work full time and pay taxes, it is only fair to afford them the opportunity to influence how these taxes are spent, locally and nationally.”

The Labour government in the UK are giving 16 and 17-year olds in England and Northern Ireland the right to vote, following similar measures being introduced in Scotland and Wales.

Farrelly noted “last month, Ireland ranked 18th out of over 140 countries worldwide in terms of youth participation in political, economic and civic life. We should be doing so much better.”

“Political decisions taken today can have consequences that last for generations – and young people are the ones who will have to live longest with the results of those decisions. They deserve a say.

“The UK is taking action on this issue – and there’s no reason we should not follow suit. I’ll be pushing for the government to progress my legislation as soon as possible once the Dáil resumes.”