Students and the poor show a "serious and alarming" lack of interest and knowledge in politics and voting, the Referendum Commission has warned.
In a report to the Government on its work during the Nice Treaty referendum campaign, the commission warned that voting turnouts would fall further unless action is taken. "There is an abundance of evidence to show that this is a deep-seated and growing problem," the body, which runs information campaigns during referendums, told the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen.
Meanwhile, it warned that tougher voter registration laws brought in last year to combat fraud threaten to cut the already low numbers of voters from low-income, city-centre areas. It said the majority of residents had been registered on their own doorsteps but changes to the procedure decreased the likelihood of them continuing to register and voting.
Headed by the former Chief Justice, Mr Justice Thomas Finlay, the commission urged a long-term national campaign to encourage people to vote.
Two pilot projects were commissioned to examine the voting patterns of students and people living in low-income city-centre districts where traditionally turnout has been low.
One project was undertaken in the 6,000-pupil-strong Carlow Institute of Technology, and the second in School Street Flats and Thomas Court Bawn near St James's Gate in Dublin.
Student voting numbers were increased by an on-campus campaign of posters, leaflets, while the Referendum Commission's television advertisements were shown repeatedly on campus TV screens. "However, it would appear that there is a 'glass ceiling' where students are concerned with regard to how much information is noticed and absorbed. It would appear that students were more interested in information that required less effort on their own part," the chairman told Mr Cullen.
The inner city findings were even worse. Detailed information was dropped into each home by local volunteers, giving the opening times of polling stations and information about the treaty.
However, turnout barely broke the 20 per cent mark. "The results of this pilot project were disappointing and highlighted a complete detachment from voting and the political system among residents," Mr Justice Finlay said.
"Despite the fact that an effort was made to tailor information to appeal directly to residents and use local platforms to deliver it, the pilot project appears to have made no difference to voter participation."
"Innovative" efforts must be deployed. "Unless information relates directly to the immediate concerns of the residents it will not motivate them to vote.
"Residents feel so marginalised at a micro level that they are unconcerned with anything at national or global level which they feel will not have any direct impact on their lives."