A Sinn Féin senator is proposing a bill to reduce the voting age in local and European elections to 16.
Senator Fintan Warfield said the Sinn Féin Private Members' bill was timely, in advance of the 2019 local and European elections.
He also said the proposal to reduce the voting age to 16 is supported by the European Parliament and was a recommendation of the Constitutional Convention in 2013.
The bill is being seconded by Independent Senator Lynn Ruane, who said young people are most affected by political decisions taken today but have no voice in who makes those decisions for them.
The National Youth Council said the bill would allow up to 120,000 people aged 16 and 17 to vote in next year’s local and European elections.
The Government has already indicated that it would hold a referendum in 2019 to allow Irish people living abroad to vote in presidential elections and to reduce the voting age to 16.
Passionate contributions on both sides of Seanad debate on motion to allow 16 year olds vote in local and European elections. Ind Senator Marie Louise O'Donnell tells teenagers in gallery to 'stay away from politics' but @SenLynnRuane strongly disagrees pic.twitter.com/3pfim1Ekjh
— RTÉ Politics (@rtepolitics) March 21, 2018
