The position last night was that I moved the amendment and that the Minister put forward a counter proposal, not quite accepting the principle of proportional representation, but making it obligatory that the representatives of the county council on the board of health should be elected according to area. I am afraid that that could not be accepted on this side of the House, because it would vitiate the whole principle of proportional representation as far as those elections are concerned. Our intention is that the board of health shall be representative, as far as possible, of the respective parties returned to the county council at the election. The proposal of the Minister that they should represent areas, rather than personnel, is not tenable and cannot be accepted.
DAIL IN COMMITTEE. - LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL (RECOMMITTED—RESUMED).
When Deputy Heffernan put down the amendment, I spoke to him about it and offered him this suggestion. I pointed out to him that it was more important that each electoral area should be represented rather than each party. He agreed with me, and I thought that whoever moved the amendment would be of the same opinion. However, that does not appear to be so. During the discussion, on the other stages of the Bill, this point was particularly stressed, that the board of health should be representative of every area. It was stressed even more than the point that each party should have representation. I have been trying to see how I could give effect to that, and I consider that the main thing, at all events, is to see that each electoral area has representation. It was with that view I put forward my amendment.
I have been thinking over the matter since, and I think I can give effect to the two ideas by inserting at a later stage, perhaps in the Seanad, an amendment to the effect, first of all, that each electoral area should be represented, and, after that, that the remaining representatives on the board of health should be elected by proportional representation. That would secure the two objects. If you have, for instance, got four electoral areas in a county, that will mean that you will have, first of all, each area represented on the county board of health. After that, there will be six remaining representatives, and these can be elected by proportional representation. That will combine the two, and I should think satisfy Deputies.
Could the Minister give us more information as to the number of electoral areas in the various counties? He has given us an instance of a county having four such areas. But supposing a county had six. The board of health is confined to 10 members. The method of proportional representation might be acceptable, but it does not really secure proportional representation if you have too small a number to be elected by that method, and the result sought for would not be ensured. Perhaps the Minister would give us a little more information as to the number of electoral areas in the counties. If there are no counties with more than four electoral areas, then the balance of six members might secure a, certain amount of representation for all the groups of opinion in the council. But with less than, say, five, it is not very easy to get anything like proportions, even though you adopt the transferable vote method.
The number of members on the county council would depend upon the Bill, but six is the largest number of electoral areas in any county. That would mean, in any case, that four members could be elected by proportional representation in each county. At the present rate of formation of parties in the country, it is very hard to say how many parties you may have, and you probably might have more parties in the county council than members on the board of health.
It may not be parties at all, but bodies of opinion.
I cannot guarantee, no matter how many members are put on the board of health, that there would still be a member representing every body of opinion. I think if you have four representatives, representing four different parties, it is as much representation as any one in reason could expect. I cannot go any further than I have done. I have gone as far as I can, and if that does not meet the Deputy's views we must only take a vote on the amendment.
The position, though not completely satisfactory, has at least been materially met by the offer of the Minister, and I am prepared to withdraw the amendment.