When I reported progress last week, I had given an example from Dublin North-East constituency in the last general election where there were seven out of a total of 12 candidates who were not elected and where in the case of six of those, the votes cast for them were subsequently treated as votes for other people, and in many cases not just for second preferences but third, fourth, fifth and possibly sixth preferences were similarly dealt with. In the case of one out of the seven candidates, through the operation of the unfair and illogical rule of this system, the voters who voted for him were excluded from this special consideration.
The point I wanted to make to Opposition Deputies is that I would like them to explain what offence against democracy those people have committed that their votes should not receive the same consideration and the same treatment as those who voted for the other six candidates. As far as I can see, the only thing which differentiates between them and the others is that they found more people to agree with their viewpoint than others.
