Ireland's economic boom is making Irish people "selfish and arrogant", the Minister for Social Affairs Seamus Brennan.
Mr Brennan told the Accord conference in Co Cavan that the nation had always prided itself on its humanity and decency and the new challenge was to retain these traits.
He told his audience in Ballyconnell: "Economic, social and cultural success does not cure all ills — it comes at a price. Ireland must now face up to new pressures and fresh challenges — what you could call the problems of swift and remarkable success.
"I am struck, for example, by how many Irish people are increasingly displaying what I view as selfishness, impatience and, even, an arrogance. This to me is something that runs against the grain of the humanity and decency that we as a nation have always prided ourselves on.
"How we hold onto that humanity and hold onto that decency must surely be one of the greatest challenges that all of us face going into the future."
The Minister said the current generation will be judged on how it harnesses the economic success to improve the quality of life for everybody. How the wealth is distributed among children, the elderly and disadvantaged groups will be the test, he added.
"How well we respond to these challenges, these hopes, these aspirations will, at the end of the day, be our legacy," he noted.
Mr Brennan praised marriage counselling agency, Accord's work in building solid and practical foundations for couples and later counselling if required.
He said he appreciated couples were under bigger pressures nowadays with commuting as well as rent and mortgage payments.
"With the pace of life today it has become more difficult for people to maintain strong and stable relationships. Children above all benefit from stability and continuity in their family life and from a regular and close relationship with both parents.
"Marriage makes a major contribution to achieving this goal and, therefore, has always commanded respect and support in Irish society." Statistics have shown that marriage is on the increase, with over 20,000 unions each year.
Mr Brennan also paid tribute to the work of Accord in providing relationships and sex education information to post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.
PA