Vol. 396 No. 4
4 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment the persons, if any, who have been asked to act as members of a Dáil constituency commission to advise and report on the formation of constituencies for election of members to Dáil Éireann having regard to the most recent census since the formation of the present Government; and the reasons no such commission have been appointed to date.
64 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for the Environment whether any persons have been asked to act as members of the constituency review commission to redraw Dáil constituency boundaries, in light of the most recent census since the formation of the present Government.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 64 together. The question of the establishment of a constituency commission to advise and report on the formation of constituencies for the election of members of Dáil Éireann is under consideration at present.
Will the Minister explain the Government's difficulty in dealing with this matter in view of the fact that in the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Programme for Government 1989-1993 in the National Interest there are agreed terms of reference for such a commission? Why, some eight months after the formation of the present Government, has no such commission yet been appointed?
Obviously a commission are to be set up. That is agreed. The Deputy should realise that this Dáil has another four years roughly to run.
That is not a temporary little arrangement.
During that period, of course, we will have a new census of population. It has a priority but it gives rise to a fair bit of cynicism outside when Deputies are too concerned about these matters on occasions. Much of the media attention has stirred it up a little; one could almost say, as the Americans do, "Let us run it up the mast and see who salutes it."
Does the Minister accept there is a constitutional duty on the Government to redraw constituency boundaries in the light of the previous census? Can he indicate whether the Government are hoping to escape from their responsibilities by holding some new census? If so, on what date is it proposed to hold such a census?
No.
Can the Minister confirm to the House that currently there is an internal Fianna Fáil committee apparently examining what way the Fianna Fáil Party want the constituencies gerrymandered? Is it the Minister's hope that in the light of the Kanturk declaration Fianna Fáil will get the Progressive Democrat monkey off their backs so that they will be left loose with their own political carving knife on the Dáil constituencies?
There is a constitutional requirement on us in this matter and it will be complied with.
When will the commission be appointed?
I reject out of hand the suggestion that there is a committee, overt or covert, operating within Fianna Fáil in regard to constituency adjustments. That is a matter for an independent commission to decide, as was shown very explicitly in the last independent commission who carried out their work.
Will the Minister reply to the question he was asked initially which is whether he can indicate whether any person or persons have to date been requested to sit on a commission and, if so, whether they have agreed or refused to sit?
The Minister has not asked any person or persons to sit on a commission.
Is the Minister trying to avoid tackling the issue?
I answered the straight question the Deputy asked.
Kicking to touch. The election might be sooner than the Minister thinks.
We are not planning it for some little time.
He might lose control over that. He would want to watch the monkeys.
The Deputy seeks to draw me and he will if he keeps up that kind of chat.
