Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate. First, the House must acknowledge the level of political apathy in Ireland. My constituency had the highest turnout in the recent referendum, but the figure did not even reach 60%. When such a high proportion of the people are so disconnected from politics that they do not even show up to vote, it highlights the fact that we have a serious problem. This is most evident in local elections in which often a candidate can be elected with a few hundred votes and have extensive rezoning powers. We have had a long discussion about various tribunals and the inappropriate use of powers by local authorities. When examining how we can address the issues of political reform and the funding of political parties, we have to look fundamentally at the disconnect between the public and the political system. The local government reform proposals that will, I hope, be brought before the House will address this because the connectivity between the taxes people pay and the representation they receive is hugely important. The dynamic in local elections is completely different from that on the doorstep in a general election. Even at this most fundamental level of our governance system where politics start, we are not making that connection properly. People do not see the connectivity between their vote, the representation they receive, the services provided and the accountability they require. If it breaks down at local level, it makes sense that the connectivity between the public and politics in a general election will be similar.

The level of voter turnout is a problem in poorer areas, while the lack of political participation is a particular problem among younger age groups. I wonder about the validity of people only being allowed to vote once they reach 18 years of age. I acknowledge this issue will be up for discussion in the constitutional convention which I hope will be assembled shortly. When a young person turns 18 years, it is potentially the first time he or she will be disconnected from his or her community and live away from home. It is the first time he or she will have the opportunity to vote. The education system has responded by introducing a new civics course, CSPE, but I am informed by student bodies that it is not extensive enough. Some strides have been made in the education system to awaken political interest among the student body, but a lowering of the voting age allied with local government reform and making a connection between voting and the responsibilities of local government could change voter and political apathy. However, there is a sense that there are strokes and corruption in politics. Comments are made to Members and councillors all the time about brown envelopes and so on. Anybody who visits the Chamber realises it is particularly dysfunctional and not representative of society. It reminds me of going to UCD on my first day as a young student and realising some people walked around as if they owned the place because, effectively, they did. I get the same feeling walking into the Chamber because generations of certain families have served in the House and these Members feel like they own the place. When I consider that 87% of the membership is male, it makes me realise something is wrong. Only three Members are openly gay, which is unrepresentative of the people we are trying to represent. Almost every Member is exclusively middle class and 100% of us are white. If we are serious about addressing the issues in the country, the Oireachtas must be more representative of those we are trying to serve.

I attended a report launch yesterday by the integration centre. The speakers referred to the integration of new communities in Ireland, the stresses and strains in communities and the positive impact sport could have. They spoke glowingly about the fact that one only had to be resident in Ireland for six months to have a vote in local elections. That is a positive development, but it is clear that even though 13% of the population are not originally from Ireland, nobody in the Chamber comes from that background.

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