The minimum voting age should be reduced to 16 in local elections to pre-empt the onset of cynicism about politics, the Greens said yesterday.
The party also wants to replace constitutional referendums, in which voters are given only a yes or no voting option, with a system described as a "preferendum" by the Green leader, Mr Trevor Sargent.
This would see proposals to amend the Constitution decided on a proportional representation basis, with the voters indicating their preference for amendment options as they do for election candidates.
In a document calling for wide-ranging reform of the political system, the Greens also said that the number of Dáil seats should be cut to 130 while working hours should be extended.
Stating that large-scale change was required to restore public confidence in politics, the party said the size of the Cabinet should be reduced to 12 from 15 places and called for the office of Minister of State to be scrapped.
The party's Re-inventing Democracy document also called for reform of the electoral and local Government systems and of the office of President.
Mr Sargent described the extension of the franchise in local elections to 16-year-olds as an opportunity to give young people "an apprenticeship" in democracy. He denied there was any contradiction retaining a minimum age limit of 18 years for national elections.
"We are entrusting young people more than any party by starting their involvement in local government before they put their hopes in central government." He said the everyday operation of the Dáil had driven many voters to despair with the low number of public sittings and TDs' behaviour in the chamber creating as much cynicism as the perceived culture of corruption.
The party wants to reduce Dáil holidays so that it would sit for 45 weeks a year, with a four-week adjournment in August, a two-week holiday at Christmas, and a one-week Easter break.
Sittings would continue between Monday afternoon and Friday morning, with the house adjourning at 7 p.m. each day. It also wants to restore the old system in which the Taoiseach takes leader's questions three days a week.
The Greens want to confine the chair of Oireachtas committees to the Opposition and they want to allow outside interest groups, possibly designated by the social partners, to participate in committee-stage debates.
Finance spokesman, Mr Dan Boyle, said the term of office of the President should be limited to five years. The office-holder should be obliged to make an annual "state of the nation" address to a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad, he said.
The Council of State, which advises the President, should be established on a statutory basis with a required number of regular meetings, he said.
The party's deputy leader, Cllr Mary White, called for the establishment of regional authorities in the EU constituencies which would amalgamate the functions of health boards and vocational education committees.
The Wickow councillor, Ms Deirdre de Burca, called for a five-year electoral cycle with an annual voting day on which Dáil, Seanad, local, European and Presidential elections would be held.
