Children should learn more about politics in school - Ring

Children should learn more about politics in school - Ring


Rowan Gallagher

17-year-olds should be able to vote according to the final report of an Oireachtas committee examining possible electoral reform measures.
The measure, which would require a constitutional amendment, would see all 17-year-olds able to vote in all elections.
Deputy Michael Ring told The Mayo News that he agrees that the voting age should be reduced but that children need to be taught, in school, about politics.
“Young people need to be thought about a wide variety of political issues at this young age,” concluded Deputy Ring.
The last time the voting age was reduced was in 1975 with the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972  which reduced the minimum voting age at DΡil and Presidential elections and referendums from 21 years to 18 years.
In other measures, the committee recommended that voting should take place at weekends and over two consecutive days to increase participation and to allow people to exercise their democratic right to vote according to the report.
In a more contentious element of the report it was recommended to the Attorney General to analyse the constitutional implications of introducing a scheme that would allocate funds proportionately to parties determined by the number of women candidates nominated for election.
Contrary to a proposal of the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, the report states that there should not be a reduction in the number of TDs and “that there is not a sufficiently compelling case for reforming the current electoral system at its most fundamental level”.
Additionally stating that the proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote system had served Ireland “relatively well” since its adoption in 1922.
By-elections should, according to the report, be held within six months of the death or resignation of a TD, and principle of equality of representation could be breached if vacancies were not filled within a reasonable time. Three constituencies each have a vacancy for one TD at present: Donegal South West, Dublin South and Waterford.