Activist Cara Darmody launches campaign to lower minimum age for TDs from 21 to 18

A majority of people back lowering the age anybody can stand as a TD, according to an online survey by campaigner Cara Darmody. File photo. Picture: Gráinne Ní Aodha/PA Wire

A majority of people back lowering the age anybody can stand as a TD, according to an online survey by campaigner Cara Darmody.

Just over 1,530 people responded to an online survey promoted on social media by the 16-year-old Tipperary schoolgirl.

Just over 65%, or 998, of respondents said that if there was a referendum on amending the Dáil candidacy age, they would vote “yes”.

However, more than half of respondents admitted their primary concern regarding an 18-year-old serving as a TD was a “lack of general life and professional experience”.

While 51%, or 781, of respondents selected that out of three optional concerns, a further 25.5% - or 391 - of respondents selected the option that stated they had no concerns.

Most of the 1,532 responses to the SurveyMonkey online survey came from people aged 46 to 64, making up 44.4% - or 680 - of responses.

The second largest group was aged 31-45, some 21.6% of respondents, or 331 in total.

Cara launched the survey as part of her entry in next year’s Stripe Young Scientist, and she has now launched a campaign to lower the age anybody can stand for the Dáil from 21 to 18.

Currently, you have to be 18 or older to run as a candidate in local elections, 21 if you want to sit in the Dáil and 35 if you want to run for president.

She said: “Ireland remains a strict European outlier, legally barring 18-to-20-year-olds from running for national office, even though 15 out of 27 EU member states already allow it.

“With the European Parliament pushing to harmonise the MEP age to 18, Ireland faces an imminent constitutional contradiction.

“My findings are that not only would the ‘yes’ vote win, but there is actually huge scope for that figure to increase due to the particular questions I asked about voters attitudes to this topic, and how positively influenced they'd be when they find out how the majority of EU countries already have 18 as the parliament candidacy age.

“I truly and honestly believe the future of our great country is bright for young people, and that the time has come for change.” 

She added: “I am currently working with academic mentors to further refine and expand this data collection ahead of the January finals to ensure the research is statistically unassailable.” 

National vox-pop 

A transition year student in Presentation Secondary School in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, the Ardfinnan teenager is taking six weeks off school to tour Ireland for a national vox-pop on her new campaign.

In answer to a question of whether they were aware Irish citizens must be 21 to run as a TD, just over 44% - or 676 - of respondents admitted they were not aware.

The majority of respondents, 1,311, also admitted they were not aware that citizens can legally run for national parliament at the age of 18 in 15 out of the 27 EU member states.

Just over 41% or 632 respondents said they strongly agreed with the statement: "If a person is legally old enough to vote, marry, drink, work, drive and pay tax at 18, they should be legally allowed to stand for election to Dáil Éireann."

The initiative is the latest campaign from the Tipperary schoolgirl, whose Dáil protests and campaigning over the past three years has helped raise more than €50m in funding for disability services.

Her campaigning was inspired by the struggle her parents Mark and Noelle have had to get basic services for her severely autistic younger brothers, Neil, 14, and John, 9.

She has previously met Leo Varadkar, when he was taoiseach, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris to discuss changes to autism services.