The number of people who voted in the local elections was the lowest ever recorded
Almost one and a half million people voted in the recent local elections but the turnout of 50 per cent was the lowest ever recorded.
Returns for the Dublin region were particularly disappointing, around the 30 per cent mark.
The numbers of people who came out to vote varied around the country with a divide between urban and rural voters. Tubbercurry in County Sligo had the highest turnout at 78.1 per cent while Clondalkin in west Dublin had the lowest at just 28.3 per cent.
Liam Kenny, Association of Irish Local Government, believes that many people are not motivated to vote unless a particular issue affects them directly.
It is estimated that half of those under the age of 25 did not vote and 70,000 young people had not registered to vote. The National Youth Council wants to know why so many young people did not vote and is carrying out a survey to investigate further. According to Malcolm Byrne, National Youth Council, this research will look at polling times, the location of polling stations, the possibility of using a postal vote, and confidence in the political system.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 21 August 1999. The reporter is George Devlin.
