Commission bids to address voting crisis

AN extensive study is to investigate why fewer people are voting in a bid to reverse the trend.

According to the Democracy Commission, falling numbers of voters and the rising age of those voting are a crisis waiting to happen.

At the launch of a think-tank to tackle the issue yesterday, local authorities were accused of not putting enough effort into maintaining voting lists.

Former Labour Party leader Ruairí Quinn said local authorities do not dedicate enough time and money to maintaining the electoral register, with the result that people entitled to a vote can end up not being included on the list.

The Democracy Commission is chaired by David Begg, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary.

The commission is expected to run for just two years and is being funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable

Trust a British fund dedicated to promoting peace, justice and reconciliation in Ireland on both sides of the Border.

The commission will conduct research on the state of democracy in the country, consult with the public and debate the issue at meetings.

Particular focus will be placed on people under 25 and those in poor communities and the planned consultation with these groups will influence the direction of the commission's work.

According to Mr Begg, whole sections of society believe the current political system is irrelevant to their lives.

Pointing out that in Britain more people voted for those starring in the reality TV show Big Brother than in the last general election, he said that in this country only half of people under 25 voted in the election.

"Any sensible person would have to be disturbed by this trend of low participation rates. At the same time thousands marched against the war in Iraq and hundreds of communities across Ireland volunteered for the Special Olympics.

"The situation then is not just a simple matter of non-participation but much more complex," Mr Begg said.

The commission was aiming to listen to concerns but there was also an onus on the political system to look athow it can increase its relevance to Irish people, he said.

Among the other members of the commission areProfessor Ivana Bacik, Fianna Fáil Senator John Hanafin, disability rights campaigner Donal Toolan and former Fine Gael deputy leader Nora Owen.

Former President Mary Robinson is international counsellor to the commission.