The Tanaiste said that selfishness on the part of some voters was one of the reasons for the low turnout in the Dublin South Central by-election.

"I agree we must examine how we can make it easier to facilitate more people to vote," she said, "but a certain complacency has set in at this time of great prosperity. Some people have become so selfish that they could not be bothered voting, and that has wider implications."

Ms Harney made her remarks when congratulating Dr Mary Upton, who won the by-election for Labour. Dr Upton was introduced by the Labour chief whip, Mr Emmet Stagg, to applause from all sides of the House.

The Tanaiste said that, notwithstanding many of the difficulties which had emerged, politics had achieved an enormous amount in Ireland this century. "We need only to look to places that do not have democratic political structures in place to know what happens.

"We ignore the democratic political process at our peril. We need to examine this issue on an all-party basis because it is deeply worrying that fewer than three out of every 10 voters entitled to vote last week bothered to cast their vote."

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, repeated his call for an all-party committee to examine ways in which it would be easier for people to get on to the electoral register.

"While this is a moment of triumph for the Labour Party, and we have had triumphs and defeats, which has been the experience in democracy of parties on all sides of the House, there is a worrisome implication in the low turnout that has affected all our parties and all our political activists who campaigned to try to persuade people to vote."