MINISTER FOR EDUCATION Norma Foley has said that lowering the voting age to 16 is a “discussion worth having”.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Foley added: “I think it’s no harm in having discussions around how we can empower young people.”
Asked about how she would justify giving 16-year-olds influence in national politics when they cannot legally purchase cigarettes or alcohol, Foley said that a conversation on empowering young people does not “rest and fall with the vote”.
Other EU countries already have a lower voting age, with Belgium and Germany joining Austria, Greece and Malta in allowing sixteen-year-olds to cast their vote in the upcoming European Elections.
So today we’re asking: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
Poll Results: