The Constitutional Convention has voted in favour of retaining Ireland’s voting system rejecting the list system as an alternative.

At the convention’s meeting in Malahide, north Dublin, this weekend, 79 per cent of members voted against replacing the existing PR-STV (proportional representation-single transferrable vote) with MMP (mixed-member proportional voting).

Twenty per cent voted Yes, and 1 per cent had No opinion.

However, the convention did overwhelmingly vote in favour of the creation of larger constituencies - where the smallest constituency size would have 5 seats - in the event of changes being made to the current PR-STV system.

Eighty-nine per cent of members were in favour of extending polling hours while 96 per cent favoured the introduction of measures to improve voter turnout.

Fifty-nine per cent said members of the Dail should be required to resign their seats following appointment to ministerial office.

The Constitutional Convention, comprising parliamentarians, interest groups, and members of the public, was set up by the Government to consider constitutional reform.

A report from the convention is due to be delivered next month.