Large numbers of young and unemployed people did not exercise their right to vote in the general election last year, a new survey showed yesterday.
But after years of disclosures of corruption and payments to politicians at tribunals, just 10.6 per cent of all non-voters said they did not cast a ballot because they were disillusioned with politics. Some 3.7 per cent of all non-voters said their vote would make no difference.
With participation in the election rising according to age, the study by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) found that adults over the age of 55 were more than twice as likely to vote as those under 25. It also identified significant under-registration of younger voters.
The survey found that 41.2 per cent of unemployed people did not vote in the election last May and 46.6 per cent said they never voted. Of those in employment, some 24.2 per cent did not vote in the last election and 34.2 per cent said they never voted. More than 80 per cent of voters participated in most elections.
The study, which was the biggest assessment of voter participation and abstention carried out in the State, said there was a marked difference in the backgrounds of voters and non-voters.
More than 83 per cent of voters said that most of their family and friends voted, compared with 57 per cent of non-voters. Voters were also more likely to be involved in voluntary groups and organisations. They listened more to radio, watched more television and read more newspapers than non-voters.
While opinion polls are generally based on a sample of 1,000 adults, the CSO approached some 24,000 individuals entitled to vote in its Quarterly National Household Survey, which principally measures labour force trends.
There were some 19,000 respondents. About 75 per cent said they voted in the election. This figure was greater the actual election turnout of 62 per cent, but the CSO director, Mr Gerry O'Hanlon, said the overstatement was expected because voters were more likely to respond to a such survey than non-voters.
Some 41.5 per cent of 18 and 19-year-olds and 53.4 per cent of those aged 20-24 voted in the election. Participation rose steadily in older age groups, with 65.7 per cent of eligible adults aged 25-34 voting, and more than 80 per cent of all adults aged over 35.
The CSO carried out the study after a suggestion by the UCD academic, Prof Richard Sinnott, was endorsed by the Government and the political parties.
It found that candidates in elections were perceived to be somewhat more important than parties.
Prof Sinnott said the findings should indicate to politicians that the electorate was "active" and that the decision whether to vote was based on a mixture of individual and institutional factors. Citing a downward trend in participation in elections, he said politicians should facilitate voting and incentivise the electorate to vote.
He said it was surprising that only 10.6 per cent of voters were disillusioned and noted that a little more than 70 per cent of all respondents were satisfied with the working of democracy in Ireland.
However, only a third of voters and 17.1 per cent of non-voters agreed or strongly agreed that "most politicians are honest".