The most worrying aspect of voter apathy is that it is greatest among the young, the Taoiseach said yesterday.
"We, who pride ourselves on a highly educated young population, now rank bottom of the European pile in terms of participation by young people in our own democracy," said Mr Ahern.
He was addressing the annual social policy conference in Dublin of the Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI).
The Taoiseach defended politics and social partnership which, he argued, are closely linked.
"Social partnership to my mind is a great democratic mechanism which has shown that this is a country which is not in debt to special interests and which has a strong commitment to the common good and the longer term." The social partners "are committed to achieving access for all to a quality of life worthy of a prosperous society that values fairness," he said.
Mr Ahern went on to launch a strong attack on the "marginalisation" of some sections of society. "It is wrong to have allowed a marginalised subculture to emerge in the past," he said. "It is wrong, it is bad politics and it is lousy economics to let it continue. It is not simply a question of putting resources into such communities, though that is being done on an increasing scale. No, it is more profound and significant. It's about reform and it's about investment and it's about taking this opportunity we have to break the back of disadvantage for once and for all."
The conference also heard a call from the directors of the CORI Justice Commission for a new social contract against exclusion to be agreed by the Government and social partners.
Father Sean Healy and Sister Brigid Reynolds argued that while the social partners represent large segments of Irish society "they do not represent, nor claim to represent, all of Irish society".
An additional forum in which a wide range of groups in Irish society could participate is needed, they said, and they proposed that the Government fund a project to work out how such a forum could be developed.
pomorain@irish-times.ie