The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, is facing strong resistance from Fianna Fail backbenchers to his plans for radical electoral reform.
Mr Dempsey said yesterday he still favoured changing from multi-seat to single-seat constituencies while retaining the PR voting system, and promised a referendum on the matter before the next general election.
However, the Minister is facing strong objections from party TDs to his proposal, which would mean a dramatic reduction in the number of Dail seats.
A survey of all Oireachtas members undertaken by the AllParty Committee on the Constitution shows strong cross-party opposition to any change. Two-thirds of respondents said there was no need to alter the system, and among the TDs and senators supporting change, there were mixed views on what shape an alternative system should take.
One Dublin-based Fianna Fail backbencher said yesterday: "As far as I am concerned the system we have is serving us very well."
Cork North Central TD Mr Noel O'Flynn said: "I would not disagree with the Minister when he says there should be single-seat constituencies with PR, but I have concerns about reductions in the number of TDs and in the introduction of a list system."
Mr Dempsey said on RTE radio that while he favoured changing from multi-seat to single-seat constituencies retaining the PR voting system, serious debate was needed on the issue. The present system would not serve Ireland's needs going into the new century, "and we should get a system that does".
Mr Dempsey was speaking after a report in The Irish Times that the all-party committee had been asked to consider electoral reform and report before April.
The Labour spokesman on the environment, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said he was concerned the Government was attempting to put pressure on the committee.