Election 2016: 'No party is a young people's party'

As the USI voter registration drive got underway on Thursday many may have wondered whether the 80,000 new student voters registered by the union and other organisations in recent years will be a focus for the country's political parties.

While it is generally recognised that the marriage equality referendum successfully politicised a new generation the question remains whether the youth will stay engaged as the general election campaign gets underway.

We spoke to some third-level students to gauge their opinions.

Billy Vaughan, Third-year Politics and Law student in UCD, said: "Overall, the problem with student engagement in politics is that there are no parties that seem to explicitly go after young people, because young people don't typically vote."

“I want to see political parties standing up for students more. University funding is being cut, and student loans are being touted as a possible replacement for this government funding. I’ve heard very little opposition to this from youth wings of political parties. I would also like to see more political action in terms of the housing crisis, which is hitting students the worst,” said Vaughan.

Caoimhe Ní Chathail, Third Year in Gaeilge & Iriseoireacht at DCU and Chairperson of Cumann Gaelach DCU said: "I can see no political parties having enough of a resonance with young people. I certainly have no loyalty to any party and don't see any one party representing me and my beliefs. No party is a young people's party. Although family loyalty to particular parties is still a trait of politics in the Ireland of 2016, it certainly isn't as powerful. Young people have increased power to shape their own opinions, particularly when living away from home."

“What young people need to understand is that with the power of a vote as a citizen they can make real change. In the year that we celebrate 100 years since Éirí Amach 1916 we should use the vote those before us dreamed of. We are so lucky to have a voice so we should make use of it,” said Ní Chathail.

William Foley, Fourth Year in Philosophy, Political Science, Economics & Sociology at Trinity College and Deputy Editor of Trinity News said: "I think a section of students have become marginally more engaged since the referendum but I also think that young people almost saw it is a non-political thing, more like a civil rights issue which didn't really have much to do with the normal concerns or processes of politics."

“Parties can overcome the anti-political mood by building the student movement against loans/increased fees, and also by campaigning on "social issues" such as abortion, women's oppression and LGBTQ rights. They could create a more vibrant movement which appeals to idealistic students by engaging them in exciting ideas like the student movements of the 60s and 70s,” said Foley.

"In my opinion, the likelihood of ever seeing such a high level of student involvement in politics again any time soon, is slim," said Hayley Halpin, Second Year journalism student in DCU and Chairperson of the LGBT society. "Personally, I have no fate in any of the leading political parties. Students don't matter to them. I'll be voting for independents," said Halpin.

Sean Cassidy, Economics, Politics and Law student at DCU and a student activist said: "The big issues for me in the general election are free Third level Education with greater grant supports, repealing the 8th Amendment and greater rights for renters."

“The traditional large parties of FF, FG and Labour most definitely don’t resonate with young people. While they maintain similar membership levels in their youth wings as in the past, young people aren’t ensconced with them. After that Sinn Fein has resonated impressively with young people across society, but there would be a cohort of students who would not be interested in SF due to the parties’ history. The Social Democrats would also seem to have a strong youth following and after that students seem to be leaning towards small left parties and independents,” said Cassidy.

“I think we should automatically register young people to vote, which is done in other countries. Make political education a core part of secondary level schooling. Fundamentally I suppose the best way to make anybody care is to engage them, give them a sense of responsibility and the mechanisms to affect the change they want to see,” said Cassidy.