Pre-registration of teenagers on register of electors could encourage political engagement- Rock
10th April 2018 - Noel Rock TD
The Government should consider giving local authorities the power to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register on the register of electors to encourage younger people to be politically active, according to a Fine Gael TD.
Dublin North West Deputy, Noel Rock, said: “I encourage the Government to grant local authorities the privilege of allowing younger potential voters to pre-register on the register of electors before they turn 18.
“I wholeheartedly support voting at 16 but in the absence of that, and until a referendum changes that, I believe this is a good idea for us to adapt.”
Deputy Rock continued: “I believe this would be a positive first step in encouraging younger people to be politically active at a local and national level.
“In California, they have started this process and their effort to get 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote has now reached 100,000 teenagers.
“I believe we could see something similar in Ireland if we encouraged a similar process.
“I also believe the new Politics and Society curriculum in secondary schools, which will be examined for the first time this year, will encourage a deeper learning and understanding of the political process here and also a broader knowledge of the operations of the European Union.
“This could encourage a new generation of politically active students, which would only serve to strengthen our democracy.”
ENDS
Noel Rock TD
Dublin North WestNoel Rock is the youngest Fine Gael Dublin TD, representing the Ballymun Electoral Area, which includes Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Whitehall, Beaumont,…
Related news
Banning petrol and diesel cars a progressive move to meet climate ambitions – Rock
Plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars in Ireland from 2030 is a progressive move and will…
29th December 2019High time for card payments for taxis – Rock
It is high time credit and debit card payments were made available to passengers in all taxis, a Fine Gael…
28th December 201924-hour buses are a fare success for Dublin – Rock
Dublin’s new 24-hour bus service has been declared a roaring success just two weeks after the service began. Fine Gael…
15th December 2019