Letters to the Editor: Lowering the voting age is not the way to go

Irish Examiner readers consider topics including Sinn Féin and commemorations, aircraft noise, and RTÉ and Ryan Tubridy

An aircraft takes off from the new North runway at Dublin Airport. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

Proponents of lowering the voting age to 16 appear to ignore some of the glaring contradictions in their own arguments. Currently, there are social and legal restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds, still children under the law: they cannot marry, sit on a jury, enter into a legal contract, buy a lottery ticket, cigarettes or alcohol, and cannot ring a radio or TV show to enter competitions for prize money.

Interestingly, and to my surprise, one of the big music events of the summer, Electric Picnic, is, according to its website, “a strictly over 18s event,” and goes on to say “children aged 13-17 years are not permitted to attend even when accompanied by an adult". What does that say?