I spoke in favour of Senator Lynn Ruane and Senator Fintan Warfield's bill to lower the voting age to 16 for local and European Parliament elections. The evidence behind this bill is clear. It is not just that 16 year olds need the opportunity to meaningfully engage with their communities, it is also crucial that young people help to shape the future of their communities and Europe. It is very disappointing that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have blocked this bill for another nine months; meaning that it is likely that many young people will not have the opportunity to vote in the highly important European Parliament elections of 2019.
I was glad to begin International Women's Day at the World Congress on Women's Mental Health which was hosted by the National Women's Council of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. The event shone a light on mental health issues affecting women, including the issue of reproductive rights.
Senator Higgins attended European Parliamentary Week as part of an Irish parliamentary delegation and contribute to discussions relating to the workplan for the European Parliament known as the European semester process.