Things that influence 16 year olds - who pays their pocket money, Justin Bieber, Simon Harris tik-tok videos. With this in mind it's hard to justify lowering the voting age to include teenagers with zero life experience and political opinions obtained from the back of a Frosties cereal box.

Any one vote could swing an election, people's lives and livelihoods are on the ballot paper. Call me a centrist but I wouldn't be too happy if my bus driver was a sixteen year old or my dentist was a sevteen year old. Sure you might have the odd gifted young driver but am I going to let that determine the rules of the road, not a chance.

Young people are more likely to be easily influenced by topical issues without considering economic implications, the vast majority of teenagers will have no concern for what's done with the adults tax money and they will make impulsive decisions based on some fad they've picked up at the latest Twilight convention.

Rugrats who've recently graduated from creche voting in the next minister for video games and theme parks is no way to run a country.

The biggest worry with lowering the voting age is that the majority of kids will look to one or two sources for guidance and you'll end up with larger votes for the established parties, locking people into voting habits from a younger age without them ever exploring or developing individual political beliefs.

While we shouldn't discourage young people from considering politics and/or political activism, I think we should also avoid confusing enthusiasm and responsibility. While a small portion of younglings are politically atune the vast majority are still trading pokemon cards and completely a bliss to the world around them. If I was to give any 16 year looking for a voting card some advice, I'd say you just need to continue growing up, you're nearly there. In the mean time try get involved with local campaigns and work on developing political views through existing organisations.

Ireland the Republic of Trocaire Boxes, Moving Statues, and Obama Plaza. We’re a paradox of good values and brown envelopes, anti-imperialism and double Irish, peace and partition. 

Western culture is full of double standards, catholic guilt has been replaced with plastic remorse. We contribute to inequality and climate change every time we import fruit, fast fashion or electricity; despite how much we convince ourselves that we recycle and buy fair trade coffee.

As the world has gone global the values of equality, fraternity, and liberty have not. Being a Republic at home and part of the imperial machine abroad is a difficult concept, we balance ideology with opportunity, often choosing convenience and cheap commodities without considering the cost of production, the politics behind an avocado, or the truth behind products like palm oil.

Perhaps identifying as a Republican is difficult in a broad world dominated by globalisation. In the modern world it could be hard to stay true to our values without resorting to a life of asceticism. Closed borders choke prosperity and diplomacy is required to trade with neighbours we might not fully agree with.

However one symbol we should value, understand and remain true to is our national flag which represents unity between green and orange. It’s a symbol of peace and its meaning is honoured by our domestic actions. So whatever being republican means in the modern world, being true to our flag should be an easier undertaking. Anyone corrupting the meaning of the tricolour to broadcast nationalist rhetoric is nothing short of being a traitor to peace and ignorant to what it means to have a shared Ireland under one flag. 

Reinforcing a philosophy of hatred and bitterness towards the United Kingdom is simply forgetting the goal of self determination and forming a united Ireland. Flags at half mast are not just about diplomacy abroad but about peace at home. Being a republican can be complicated these days but the green, white, and orange are in our DNA; we need to think more about what a healthy society looks like and we should respect our flag in what we do and say in order to live up to the values it represents. ​

Politicians need to have the moral compass of Saint Brendan but the leaking scandal makes this government's ethical judgement look like a lost walrus heading from Valentia island to the coast of Wales.

We put our trust in politicians and we expect them to know the difference between right and wrong, in particular on matters relevant to good governance that the layperson isn’t expected to have in depth knowledge of, after all that’s why we let experienced politicians run the country.

So perhaps I was a bit disappointed when Michael Martin and Eamon Ryan stood up to defend the leaking of a confidential document; on the Dail record they accepted Leo Varadkar’s apology, and decided that no harm was done. Meanwhile the opposition kick-started a criminal investigation and really made it clear that not all was ok with Leo’s actions (this Dail debate is summarised in the post The Big Deal).

I’m not a legal expert, so from the outset all I can say is that I don’t know if any law has been broken. I’ve read the article in Village Magazine that calls Leo a lawbreaker, I’ve listened to the Dail debates, and I’ve done my best to find more information on the story. All I know is that during ongoing negotiations the then Taoiseach decided to release a confidential document to a group that wasn’t a party to the talks. While there’s no evidence of financial favours there is a sense of close relationships and inner circles. Is this how all governments are run? Is it normal to court special interest groups while in negotiations with trade unions? It’s clearly not what should be done and whether illegal or not there should be less tolerance for such behaviour.

I’m not going to say Michael Martin and Eamon Ryan knew that leaking this document was illegal, and that they tried to pull the wool over our eyes, nor was I expecting them to perform some sort of character assassination on a partner of government, but I do expect them to have better moral judgement.
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That’s why, if found guilty of wrong doing, it’s not only Leo Varadkar that will have to step down. If found guilty the whole leaky trinity will be in trouble, Leo Varadkar will have to step down, Michael Martin will have to step down, and Eamon Ryan will have to step down. This government will need to go back to the electorate if that happens and we will need to ask ourselves the question; when faced with an ethical dilemma do our politicians act the way we want them to, or do they hide below deck so they don’t rock the boat.