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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Oct 2008

Vol. 663 No. 1

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed).

Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I call Deputy James Bannon.

Have we the Minister?

The Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, is representing the Minister.

There is no Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government here.

The Government may nominate any Minister or Minister of State to represent a Minister in the House. There is no difficulty with that. Deputy Bannon should proceed.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I thank the commission for its hard work and for the fair and equitable conclusion it has reached within the geographical constraints. On the law of averages this will mean some discontent at the end of the process. One journalist suggested, tongue in cheek, that there was much to be said for the days when the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government took a pen to the State's map and lovingly gerrymandered a new set of constituencies. The journalist hastily restored his tongue to its normal place, however, and said that obviously no one wanted to go back to the days of the "Tullymander". This, as we all know, was a time when artistic talents were given free rein.

The main areas of discontent include the transfer of parts of County Offaly into Tipperary North, the creation of the new Kerry North-West Limerick constituency and the continued division of my neighbouring County Leitrim. Transparency is the essence of democracy and I agree with previous speakers who spoke on this Bill and felt it would be beneficial to hold a public meeting after the commission had issued its preliminary report to allow voters to contribute their views to the process. This could serve to resolve the widespread apprehension, particularly in counties such as Leitrim and Offaly and in parts of Limerick and Kerry. I particularly welcome the provision for a new constituency review to immediately follow publication of the next preliminary census figures in summer 2011, rather than waiting for the final report the following April. If, as now seems unlikely, a general election will not take place before 2012, the next election could see totally revamped constituencies.

As regards my constituency, Longford-Westmeath, I am delighted the commission saw fit to retain the status quo. The constituency was restored by the previous commission to rectify what was seen to be an unsustainable realignment. This is an historical constituency in the midlands and remains a four-seater, with the continued representation of four Deputies, although there is a sufficient population for a five-seater, given the section of Westmeath that has been brought back from the Meath West constituency. A five-seater constituency in Longford-Westmeath would make sense, although I have no worries in that regard. I work hard on behalf of my constituents and have nothing to fear. However, the population would justify a five-seater constituency.

Certainly, there was discontent in the midlands when the historical bond between the counties of Longford and Westmeath was broken. An apparently arbitrary decision saw Longford realigned with Roscommon, which not only broke the historical bond, but geographical boundaries. It made no sense whatsoever, because there were only two connections between Longford and Roscommon, as there still are. The River Shannon divides the counties, and two bridges link the two counties. That particular set-up did not make much sense and I am glad it was rectified. From what Deputy Mary O'Rourke, my constituency colleague, said in her contribution, it appears the commission need not have set parameters at all, as she is happy to cross constituency boundaries, apparently in the spirit of the whole of Ireland being her constituency, taking on the work of every other public representative by default, regardless of whether they like it, or whether there is time left for the people she is supposed to represent.

As regards the European Parliament, the commission has recommended that Longford-Westmeath be moved from the East constituency to that of North-East. As a Deputy who takes pride in our heritage and culture, I believe that in naming the EU constituencies we should not have lost touch with the old historical identity of the provinces, which pre-dates the counties. I feel strongly that we should, in some way, have retained the connection with the provinces and I regret the commission did not see fit to name the constituencies, where possible, after them. With this transfer of the counties of Longford and Westmeath, variants of the East and North-East constituencies are closely aligned. Both are three-seat constituencies. The change will result in the loss of one MEP.

It is essential that the democratic process is seen to be impartial and transparent, which brings me to the important matter of the electoral system. We discussed this earlier with the Minister, as regards the electoral register and the urgent need to set up the electoral commission to sort out the appalling and indeed, frightening, inadequacies of the register, which meant people were unable to exercise their democrat right to vote. Belated attempts by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to update and reform the register before the 2007 general election woefully failed. Some €12 million of taxpayers' money was blatantly squandered and 1,500 field workers visited 1.25 million households, but there was still widespread chaos on polling day, with potential voters often having to face insurmountable difficulties. We all witnessed this in our constituencies throughout the country during the general election last year. People were being added to or subtracted from the register on apparent whims, with many receiving letters to inform them their names are being removed. In my constituency the numbers on the register far exceeded the population figures. The adult population of Longford at the time was 24,810, yet the draft register contains 27,132 names, a difference of 2,322 or 9%. Westmeath has an adult population of 57,141, with 59,791 names on the draft register, a differential of 2,650 or 5%. As the maintenance of the electoral register was never intended to be a function of local authorities, given the urgent need for a rolling register, updated on a continuous basis, it is essential that an independent commission or office be established with its own job specific staff. A delegation from the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government visited Northern Ireland and met Dr. Douglas Bain. We witnessed an example of how the system should work. Dr. Bain informed us the system had an accuracy rate in the high 90s. This model should be followed in the Republic and was recommended in the report of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Such a national body has been highly effective in Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions.

I very much support the establishment of an electoral commission with total responsibility for the maintenance of the electoral register. I entered local government in 1985 and, election after election, have encountered problems. It is time for us to face up to the problems encountered during the years and address them to the satisfaction not alone of public representatives but the electorate generally. I hope the Minister will take my comments on board.

I do not intend to dwell on the boundaries drawn in the constituency review. My constituency will increase from a three-seater to a four-seater, which is positive for me, but the difficulty is that the county town of Swords has been split down its main street. Similarly, the village of Clonsilla has been more or less split down the middle for the local authority elections. I appreciate people do not live in settlements of 25,000 and that if they did, it would be very convenient. The boundary must be drawn somewhere and someone will end up on the wrong side of it. The Taoiseach suggested the House could dissect the report but that should not happen. It was drafted independently and we must accept it, for better or worse.

I do not agree with Deputy Finian McGrath who suggested yesterday the number of Members should be increased on the basis of the increase in the population. The Dáil is probably one of the few areas in the public service where numbers have not increased. The population to TD ratio has increased considerably, which is positive. It would send a bad message to the people if the size of the Parliament was increased at a time when the rest of the public service is being asked to downsize. When Germany experienced a financial crisis seven or eight years ago, the membership of its parliament was reduced and that helped to give leadership regarding other reforms to be introduced.

I refer to the increasing imbalance in representation in various local authority areas. For example, there is one councillor per 10,000 people in Fingal County Council. The figures are similar in Dublin city, Cork county and city. We have three or four Deputies and nine councillors in Fingal, whereas other parts of the country are represented by five Deputies and 60 councillors. The Minister has the power under the Local Government Act 2003 to vary the size of local authorities. While he cannot make such a change before next year's elections, I ask him to examine this issue during his term to ascertain which local authorities need to increase or decrease in terms of representation. It is a very difficult for one councillor to represent 10,000 people, given that he or she receives the same allowances as those who represent far fewer people.

I agree with the introduction of spending limits for local government elections. At yesterday's committee meeting the suggestion was that the limit should apply for three months prior to election date. That probably makes sense but it must be recognised it should not only be based on the number of seats in the ward. The spending limits for Dáil elections are based on the number of seats and candidates per constituency. However, for example, Mulhuddart has a population of almost 50,000 in 20,000 households. The spending limit in that five-seat ward should be different from that for a five-seater in a county with a population of 10,000 and 3,000 households. When the Minister and his officials devise the scheme, the spending limit should be based on the population of the electoral area rather than the number of seats. If the spending limit is €20,000 in an area with a population of 50,000, that equates to spending 40 cent per voter over three months. One cannot do much for that amount. One could not deliver a leaflet to every household or erect sufficient posters. Will the Minister link the local election spending limits with the population of the ward and not the number of seats?

I am unhappy with the process for making boundary changes. Deputy Burton drew attention to the different way this is done in the United Kingdom where the Electoral Commission publishes a proposed set of new boundaries. People then examine and respond to them before they are reviewed and adopted.

That is the answer.

For example, it was proposed to reduce the number of seats in Belfast to three, with a number of other changes. Responses were provided and changes were then introduced. That might be a better system for the next constituency review. We have plenty of time to do this, as the next census will not take place until 2011. Perhaps a new system could be adopted then, whereby draft boundaries would be published and discussed before a final decision was taken rather than being presented with a fait accompli, which is more or less what we have now.

There are two Green Party Ministers in the Cabinet, one of whom has an appetite for media, while the other, Deputy Gormley, has an appetite for reform. Perhaps he will examine the wider issue of electoral reform during his tenure. The issue has been much discussed but very little has been done about it. Fianna Fáil tried to introduce a first past the post system on two occasions, which I do not favour, but there may well be a case for the introduction of a mixed system similar to that used in Scotland, Wales and Germany, where members are elected on a regional and local basis. That ensures small parties are represented and a mix of people are engaged in constituency or legislative work. In Germany members of the Bundestag who are elected to constituency seats command more respect than those elected under the list system because they are considered to have been elected in their own right. I do not accept the view that there should be a division between members engaged in constituency work and legislators. That does not happen in countries that have adopted a mixed electoral system. High profile Ministers and legislators are expected to win seats locally.

I agree with Deputy Bannon regarding the naming of European constituencies such as Ireland East and Ireland South, which do not mean very much to people. It is difficult to name the constituency in the west because it stretches across all four provinces. It begins in County Westmeath, a 45 minute drive from my house, which is extraordinary. I doubt many of my constituents know the boundaries of Dublin West. Journalists do not because I am often described as a Member for Dublin North-West or Dublin Mid-West. Were it to use local names and be called Dublin Blanchardstown-Castleknock, for example, people would be better able to identify where they live.

Given that the Castleknock electoral area comprises the Blanchardstown shopping centre, Blanchardstown hospital and Blanchardstown village, should it not be called Castleknock-Blanchardstown? Similarly, the largest and second largest settlements in Mulhuddart are Clonsilla and Clonee, respectively, but it has an odd name. I made this argument in my submission to the commission, but it does not seem to have been picked up. No one ever says that he or she is from Pembroke, rather, he or she is from Ballsbridge, Donnybrook or Dublin 4. No one says he or she is from Glencullen, rather, he or she is from Sandyford or Ballinteer. Given these facts, why do we not use relevant names for electoral areas?

I referred to local government spending limits, but another point is the dual mandate. While I may be wrong, one cannot be a Member of the Dáil and a member of a council, but it is still possible to be a member of the council and a Member of the European Parliament. If this is the case, it is odd. It is also odd that people, including someone in my constituency, will run for a council and the European Parliament on the same day. What would happen if people were elected to councils and the Parliament on the same day? How would they choose which position to take up?

It would be easy to make that decision.

It is strange that that could occur. We know who will be on the B panel for the Parliament elections, but not for the local council elections. If someone in my constituency runs in the local and European elections simultaneously, I assume he or she would take the parliamentary position were he or she to win it, at which point the council seat would be handed to someone else. Running for two parliaments on the same day, picking and choosing and dumping someone into the open position would be deceptive.

I take great interest in examining the marked register often as I am always fascinated to see how many people do not vote. Approximately 40% of people who attend my clinics do not vote. I am always interested to see whether family members, friends of families, party members and their families vote. Examining the marked register is a fascinating exercise, but we are not allowed to access it in respect of referenda. We should have access. Many talking heads and celebrities had a lot to say about the Lisbon treaty, but I would be interested in knowing whether any of them voted. I suspect that some did not. As this is the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, it would be possible to introduce an amendment along these lines. The marked register is an important way to ensure that there is no fraud. It is easier to commit fraud in a referendum because no one gets to find out who voted.

My final point is on electoral reform. As a Member of this Parliament, I am shocked by how few Members are women. I am delighted that three women and four men are present in the Chamber, but it is an unusual and unrepresentative ratio. I grew up in a house of women, although my father is obviously a man. I attended mixed primary and secondary schools. I studied medicine at Trinity College in a class 70% of which was made up of women. Women comprise 40% of my party's members and more than one third of a council of which I was a member consisted of women. Then I came to Dáil Éireann and, for the first time, joined a men's club. I felt that I was at a meeting of the Order of the Knights of St. Columbanus or the Masons.

This issue must be addressed as the Parliament cannot continue to represent 50% of the population so poorly.

I am not a fan of quotas, but the matter must be addressed in some way. As a profession, politics is probably unattractive to women. For example, I do not know how one would take maternity leave. It might be impossible. Former Deputy Mildred Fox stated that she did not mind a day's work, but having to go back out again after going home was the difficult part. Is there a way to address this issue? While I may be attacked by the media for saying such, it is possible to take career breaks in other parliaments.

The Deputy's time has elapsed.

The Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, took a one-year career break after the births of his children while he was an ordinary MP. Would it be possible to introduce such a provision in Ireland to make politics more attractive to women? I support the Bill.

I wish to share time with Deputy Scanlon.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome Deputy Varadkar's acknowledgement of the reforming nature of the Minister and the legislation. It is important to remember that this country has not always had fair and unbiased electoral boundary revisions, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s when constituency boundary revisions that were not without controversy over their lack of fairness were passed by many Ministers. I welcome the fact that we have a much more transparent and trustworthy system, particularly given that boundary revision is done by an independent panel at times determined by demographic change rather than political expediency.

Section 9 provides for the establishment of constituency commissions, upon the publication by the Central Statistics Office of preliminary census figures, and for the report of the commission to be completed not later than three months after the publication of the final census figures. The latter is an important provision. As many Deputies will remember, a complex and important case was heard in the High Court last year in which several plaintiffs claimed that the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 was inconsistent with the Constitution. While Mr. Justice Clarke, in his verdict, claimed that the Act was not inconsistent with the Constitution, he stated that he believed the obligations on the Oireachtas regarding its constitutional duties to provide for equal representation "calls for a consideration of whether measures can be put in place to minimise the gap between the availability of census figures and the enactment of legislation". It was an important point.

While six months may have been deemed a sufficient lapse between final census figures and the final report of a constituency commission until now, the three-month deadline proposed by the Bill is a sensible reform. The provision for the establishment of a constituency commission as soon as provisional census figures are published is sensible.

The progress made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, in establishing an electoral commission and in local government reform will have a dynamic effect on how we run all our elections. The commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government to establish an electoral commission that will take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight, implementing modern and efficient electoral practices, revising constituency boundaries, taking over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending and the examination of the issue of financing the political system is a substantial and significant undertaking. The process of revising the electoral rules, administering the electoral process and upholding standards in the way parties compete at elections is something that should not be subject to the ideology or whim of any particular Government.

The shift to fair and free elections is one we trust. Sharpening up how we do our business is good for democracy. The Minister's comments yesterday and previously on the cap on spending in local elections should also be welcomed, particularly by a party such as ours, which does not take corporate donations, an aspect of political culture that has for far too long been tainted by suspicion and undue influence from those with much money. There have been murmurings of "buying elections" with extravagant and lavish spending. We all hear stories of how certain candidates with wads of money can out-spend, out-gun and out-manoeuvre a candidate of the same calibre but without the same means in his or her pocket. Capping the spend on local elections would be welcome.

The electoral register must be part of current electoral reform. Those of us who have taken the local authority route know the stories of small three-bedroom houses with ten or 12 people registered there before an election. They are legion. Getting the fundamentals right is important. Simple measures can be put in place to ensure that the register works and is accurate. The Minister's proposals for a rolling electoral register are welcome.

The Deputy has one minute remaining.

One aspect of reform that could be explored in establishing an electoral commission is the possibility, as outlined in recent political science literature, of permanent political boundaries for constituencies, with only the number of Deputies or councillors changing with shifting demographics. We in Carlow-Kilkenny are slightly confused because some parts of County Carlow are in County Wicklow for a general election and some parts of County Laois go into County Carlow, although we get them back for local elections.

It is not often that a Carlow local authority stars in a murder story, but Carlow stars in the last Inspector Morse novel written by Ted Dexter. In it, the ever gloomy Morse says to his sidekick, Lewis:

"Do you know why Carlow County Council did not get a reply from that guy?"

"No," says Lewis.

"Well," says Morse, "he's been dead for a while."

Ergo, we must keep the register up to date and Carlow serves as a reminder in that thriller. I welcome this Bill and I want the legislation to be progressed as speedily as possible. In an open, working democracy, this is good for Ireland, good for electoral reform and good for our constituencies.

I am pleased to speak on this matter. One issue relevant to the matter of constituencies is the breaching of county boundaries. My constituency traverses Sligo and north Leitrim. Many people in Leitrim would prefer that the county was treated as one single constituency. They believe the county's interests as a whole would be better served as one entity. Whether this is true, it is a belief many people in the county hold.

The Electoral Act 1997 states that "the breaching of county boundaries shall be avoided as far as practicable". The issue of place and identity is something that is very important in Irish society. We see it every year in the GAA when people go in their thousands to support their counties. I understand the commission was impartial when drawing up the report, but that does not mean it is a perfect document or that the result is correct.

In my constituency some changes have been recommended. The 2003-2004 commission recommended, and the Oireachtas enacted, the establishment of the two three-seat constituencies of Roscommon-South Leitrim and Sligo-North Leitrim. The largest number of submissions on one issue received by the commission related to including all of County Leitrim in one constituency. These submissions were in the form both of direct requests that a change be made to this effect and specific proposals as to how this might be achieved. The arguments advanced in these submissions centred on the issue of ensuring that a representative from County Leitrim is elected to the Dáil.

The commission considered carefully each of the submissions relating to County Leitrim and was very much aware of the strength of feeling expressed on the issue. It also considered carefully all of the available options of including the county in one constituency. This included the proposals advanced in this regard in the submissions. The commission deemed that it was not possible to identify an alternative to the current arrangement of constituencies in the area that "both met the concerns advanced in the submissions and had no other undesirable impacts on the configuration of constituencies".

The commission deemed that each of the alternatives considered had one or more significant disadvantages, including the breaching of another county boundary, the placing of three counties in one constituency, geographic difficulties and extensive loss of continuity, including large population movement in the arrangement of constituencies. For these reasons, the commission recommended adherence to the general constituency configuration proposed in the report of the 2003-2004 commission and enacted by the Oireachtas.

There are some changes. The 2006 census records that the Sligo-North Leitrim constituency now has a variance of -7.53%. With Roscommon-South Leitrim having a variance of +1.48%, it is deemed by the commission that the variance in Sligo-North Leitrim is capable of being dealt with in that context. The commission deems that in the north of the existing Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency, it is possible to move a number of electoral divisions with a population of 3,376 into Sligo-North Leitrim. However, I do not agree. Sligo-North Leitrim included the county of Sligo and one third of Leitrim but the constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim included Roscommon and two thirds of Leitrim. This gave Leitrim a half-decent chance of electing a Deputy within the county. With the local elections approaching, I know this will cause some upheaval for constituents in the areas affected. We must not forget that behind major reports such as this there are real people who are affected, the grassroots of democracy who will feel the effects of any proposed changes.

One of the changes that has been floated is that Ballisadare will be included in the Enniscrone electoral area. On the national stage this may not register but, as the saying goes, all politics is local. We must never forget the small parishes and villages around the country that are at the heart of our democracy and will be affected by this report. The Enniscrone electoral area is effectively a peninsula, surrounded by the sea to the north and west and the mountains to the south. It was a three-seat local election constituency. The Minister wanted to create four-seat constituencies but by changing that area, he has put a knife through other electoral areas. This has had a serious effect, as in the case of Ballisadare, divided by a river, where the main street is in one electoral area and the rest of the town in another. That is very unfair.

Perhaps the commission should be made up of political parties, members of which have an understanding of and a feeling for what is happening and the conditions on the ground. It is difficult to get everyone to agree on boundary changes because it will affect somebody somewhere. The commission makes a decision, closes the book and no one is responsible. We should try to move in the direction suggested.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute but I do not welcome the recommendations of the boundary commission. One can argue that all politics is local. While I am critical of the Constituency Commission, I am not questioning the independence and integrity of the people who sat on it. However, they got it badly wrong in a number of constituencies, including Limerick. Subsequent to the boundary changes, media reports in the Irish Independent referred to the winners and losers. Naturally the article refers to Kerry being a winner: “Rather than losing a TD, the Kingdom takes a chunk of west Limerick and retains its six TDs for the next general election.” The article refers to Limerick as a loser: “The county loses a TD and is turned into a dogs dinner of three constituencies.” If there was a difficulty with Kerry in respect of under representation, I cannot understand why the commission felt it had to meddle in Limerick, taking a sizeable chunk of the constituency I represent and putting it into a new constituency to be called North Kerry-West Limerick. It defies all logic and I cannot understand why that was done.

Deputy Varadkar has made many outlandish statements in this House since he was elected but his contribution today was sensible. His suggestion is the only obvious answer to this problem. On the other hand, Deputy Hogan referred to the Taoiseach's confused judgment because he suggested, at the early stage of this issue, that we should ask the Constituency Commission to introduce an interim report that the House could examine. If it were to throw up something as outlandish as what has occurred on this occasion, we would not allow it.

In law, these recommendations need not be accepted by this Parliament but it has been a matter of course for the past number of years that all recommendations of the Constituency Commission have been accepted. Deputy Hogan stated: "If we were to follow the Taoiseach's confused thinking on this subject, Members, as legislators, would be given the opportunity to change reports from the numerous commissions and so on, for example, on the health services." That is not being considered for one moment but I feel strongly that the Constituency Commission can, with the stroke of a pen, take away my career.

We know all about it.

The Acting Chairman knows about this and other Members feel the same way. We will never have all-party agreement on Constituency Commission recommendations because there are winners and losers. I am not a sore loser. I will fight my battle and take on the new challenge. However, it is making my job extremely difficult. I cannot see the logic in it but it has been done and we cannot change it. On this occasion, no party has an appetite to change it but the only way to go is to ask the next boundary commission to produce an interim report. This would solve two problems and I hope the Minister will provide clarification when he responds on Second Stage.

Boundary recommendations will be put to this House in the coming days and they will become law and I accept this. I have shifted my tent into the new part of my constituency to meet and work with and for my people. At the back of my mind, I am aware that another census will take place in a few years and a boundary commission will be obliged by law to act after the census. If we keep going the way we are, it is technically possible that the boundary of my constituency will be revised again and we will have confusion.

I am open to contradiction but I understand that if we go down the route of asking the commission to implement an interim report, it would be produced after the census and prior to a general election if the Government sees out its full term. This would provide us with an opportunity to examine the interim report, have the election and then make changes. It is the only sensible way to progress and we must have clarification and certainty on it, not only for ourselves but for the people we represent.

The people of west Limerick, who I have represented for the past number of years, feel sore that they are being asked to vote in another county. They will never be in a position to elect one of their own, a Limerick man or woman, because the boundary revision distinctly favours candidates from the other county, namely, Kerry. This adds insult to injury. They have been disenfranchised. They have a loyalty to their county and they should be entitled to vote for candidates in their county and have their own constituency as they always had. It is not good enough. I cannot undo what has been done but I feel strongly about it and I am cross that these people should be treated in such a manner.

With respect to the boundary commission, I understood it would respect within reason county and provincial boundaries and this has not happened on this occasion. County boundaries have been broken and towns have been divided in two. This makes no logical sense to me. A portion of Deputy Enright's constituency in Leinster has been lost to north Tipperary in Munster and this is wrong.

We must have pride in our profession and if we do not defend it nobody else will. We have come to the stage when we should decide. We should have an independent boundary commission by all means but I would add a political brain to those independent people, perhaps former Ministers or Deputies from all sides of the House. They would have a feel for politics and an understanding of how it works.

I respect the position, integrity and independence of the people on the commission and we must keep it independent. However, we must also be sensible. None of us should allow our careers to be taken from under us with a stroke of a pen. The people of Kerry must have lobbied effectively as they managed to save their seat when the constituency was under-represented. I understand the people of Leitrim made more submissions than any other constituency in the country because of the wrong done to them on a previous occasion. However, the boundary there was not changed back.

I appeal to all parties that the only route we can take is to have the boundary commission produce an interim report to be examined sensibly in this House. I do not mean that we should only introduce minor changes or tinker with the edges, which happens and must happen. In future, I will not accept decisions such as those proposed on this occasion. If I am fortunate enough to be in the House on the next occasion I will vote in a different way.

The Electoral Amendment Bill 2008 provides for the revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies in accordance with the recommendations of the report of the Constituency Commission which was presented to the Ceann Comhairle in October 2007. The Bill also provides for the establishment of future constituency commissions on publication by the CSO of the preliminary results in respect of a census of population and for the work of the commission to be completed following publication of final population data relating to the relevant census.

As well as dealing with constituency revision, the Bill proposes alternative procedures such as deposits or assents by electors for nomination of non-party candidates at European Parliament and local elections. The Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007 provided for such alternative procedures for non-party candidates at Dáil elections. The need for these arose from a judgment of the Supreme Court in 2006 in which the court upheld the main requirement for obtaining 30 assenters to a Dáil nomination but struck down the provision requiring personal attendance by all assenters at a single location in a constituency. The court found the provision was inappropriate to the objective to be achieved and unconstitutional.

Due to the limited time then available and the need for enactment and implementation prior to the 2007 general election, the text of the 2007 Act provided for alternative nomination procedures for non-party candidates at Dáil elections only. Corresponding procedures for European Parliament and local elections are now required in advance of these elections next year and are included in the Bill on this basis. The procedures follow those enacted in 2007 for Dáil elections.

The overall aim of the Bill is to modernise and update the electoral law. The specific objectives of the Bill are to revise Dáil and European Parliament constituencies and to provide for the number of members to be elected for such constituencies in accordance with the report of the Constituency Commission.

With regard to revising Dáil constituencies, I am happy to state as a sitting T.D. for the constituency of Longford-Westmeath that our constituency has been left the same as it was at the previous general election. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the constituency on behalf of the people in Longford and Westmeath. This was a sensible recommendation. We have been together for many years, although temporarily separated. The people of these adjacent counties have a great deal in common. We have worked well together in the past.

The regional hospital in Mullingar, County Westmeath, serves the people of Longford and Westmeath. It is of utmost importance for the public representatives and those we represent that we have a hospital in our area and access to it and the personnel, management, the HSE and the Department of Health and Children to ensure a proper service is maintained at the hospital in Mullingar. I must compliment everyone at the hospital on the great work they do. I have visited the hospital many times and people are inclined to underestimate the commitment, dedication and work of the hospital staff, including the professors, consultants, doctors, nurses, ward staff and everyone who works there. Seeing is believing and I do not receive any complaints from patients who have been admitted and treated in the hospital. I have heard nothing but the height of praise for the excellent service people receive from the staff. It is refreshing and rewarding for someone like me to meet the people in the hospital whom patients meet on a regular basis to see how committed and dedicated they are to improving both the service and the health of those for whom they care.

The people of Longford-Westmeath have many other things in common. We also were part of the Midland Regional Authority, on which we worked together very well. In addition, people in Longford-Westmeath look forward to extending a dual carriageway connecting Longford with Mullingar to continue the magnificent road that runs from Kinnegad to Dublin.

How is Senator Cassidy? Tell him I was asking for him.

I am sure he will let the Deputy know.

Senator Cassidy is happy in his present position. He did a very good job and I worked closely with him in the Dáil and will continue to work with him in the Seanad. He is an easy man to get on with and is pleasant, courteous, understanding, flexible, adjustable——

He is easily adjustable.

——and a good politician. Is he not a great man to come out of Castlepollard and hit national politics? Not alone is he well known in Ireland——

It is not relevant to the debate.

Fascinating as it is.

That is just as well. I am glad the Acting Chairman stopped me before I reached Nashville.

The Deputy should concentrate on the Bill.

As for European Parliament constituencies, the people of Longford no longer will be in the East constituency, as the county has been placed in the North-West constituency.

The people of Longford are most welcome.

I thank Deputy Higgins for welcoming us to the North-West constituency. We will take up his invitation to do the best we can. We will feel welcome in Galway and if at all possible, when Deputy Higgins votes, he should not forget Fianna Fáil and should try to elect one or two Fianna Fáil candidates for the North-West constituency. That would be good of him. As for the changes to the European constituencies, Longford is close to Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Connacht in general, as well as to Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Clare and Galway. Consequently, in a European context, Longford is in the right constituency this time, namely, the North-West constituency.

I am sure that many will put their names forward to contest the European elections. This is highly important; people now realise the importance of being part of the European Union. If one travels the world and visits Asia, Africa or anywhere else outside of Europe, even perhaps in North America, people will ask where one is from. If one replies that one is from Ireland, the response will be that as Ireland is part of the European Union, one really is from Europe. Such people focus on European policy and trade. Europe has a huge population that constitutes an enormous market for the rest of the world's exports.

I look forward to the European elections and note that the European Union has served us well. However, we also have served it well and played our part as true visionaries. I refer to people who preceded me such as Jack Lynch who did Ireland a great service in 1972 by signing Ireland's accession treaty with the European Union to take effect in 1973. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, did us proud in the last European Parliament when Ireland held the Presidency of the European Union. It was well known and widely thought that during its six months' Presidency, the Irish Government was equal to, if not better than, any other government which held the Presidency in the history of the European Union.

Having spoken of the Dáil and the European Parliament, I wish to say a few words about county council electoral areas in County Longford. There has been a slight revision involving a change in population from one area to another. Overall, I welcome the revision in County Longford which has some excellent county councillors on a 21-member county council. The Drumlish electoral area in north Longford has been changed slightly. I started out in the mid-Longford area in 1985, part of which, around Newtownforbes, has been transferred to the Drumlish area. The other areas in County Longford are Ballymahon in south Longford and the Ballinalee-Granard area. Overall, I am looking forward to the local elections in Longford in June. It will be a great opportunity for everyone to get out and about to meet the people and I look forward to success for all candidates.

On the subject of local elections, I take the opportunity to compliment and congratulate the director of services and staff at Longford County Council who maintain the register of electors. All politics is local, as has been stated in the House many times, and Members should appeal to everyone to register. In fairness to the director of services and staff of Longford County Council at Great Water Street, Longford, anyone who wishes to contact them whenever the office is open will experience nothing but courtesy and efficiency. If people apply to the office in time, their queries will be answered. Moreover, the office in Longford County Council remains open to deal with queries from electors from the minute polling stations open in the morning until their closure in the evening. I apologise to people for not being aware of this until after the last election. It was found in isolated cases that people had arrived at the polling stations who were not on the register for some reason. However, those who contacted the office enabled it to check the matter and acknowledge they should have been on the register. People did not realise there was this facility. It is a great facility to have because those who go to the polling station only to discover they are not on the register become highly annoyed, upset and frustrated because it is one's democratic right to vote. Such persons feel unjustly deprived. Perhaps Members should take the opportunity to appeal to the people that if they are in any doubt about being on the register, they should check it out. They should get in touch with their local county council and simply ask whether they are on the register by sending an e-mail, dropping a note, making a telephone call or visiting the relevant office. With the local elections coming up, one realises how it has been disappointing for people over the years when they find some family members go to vote and are not on the register. The first action one should take when heading for an election is to ensure the people being asked to vote can do so. We would like to see everyone able to vote.

The Bill is to amend the law relating to the constituency revision process, having regard to the implications of the High Court judgment arising from the Murphy and McGrath cases. It is also to provide an alternative statutory mechanism to regulate the nomination of non-party candidates, as I said, at European and local elections.

A Constituency Commission was established under the Electoral Act 1997 on 26 April 2007 to make a report relating to constituencies for the election of Members to Dáil Éireann and MEPs to the European Parliament. I do not know if sympathy is the right word but we have a feeling for people living in counties which have been divided. For local elections, some feel parishes should not be divided. Perhaps parishes should not be divided and they should use the GAA model where a person can only play for a team in one's own parish and people living outside that parish are expected to play for the other parish's team. There is a great bond, love and commitment from the people to the place of their birth, where they were reared and where they live and work. It is where their mother, father and grandparents came from, and people like to be part and parcel of it. Sometimes a parish is divided and people in one parish would have to vote for a person in another.

I know population is the basis for this division but maybe we can even it out as best we can. As the previous speaker indicated, perhaps every county in Ireland should have the opportunity to elect somebody from that county or who resides there.

We also wish to provide for the numbers to be elected in accordance with the report. Since independent constituency commissions were initiated in 1979, it is established practice that the Government accepts the recommendations in the report. This Bill provides accordingly and the final determination of constituencies is a matter for the Oireachtas to prescribe in legislation. Options relating to constituency formation are a matter for the commission.

There will be no significant costs or impacts as a result of implementing the commission's report. All Ministers were consulted in advance of the Bill's publication and submissions in the Constituency Commission are dealt with under section 2.4 on page 9 of the report.

With regard to my constituency, I welcome this Bill and look forward to supporting it. There is a recommendation that the number of Deputies remains the same, with one public representative per 30,000 people for the Dáil. I thank the Acting Chairman and Deputy Michael D. Higgins for welcoming me to the new constituency. I thank Deputy Enright for having the patience to listen for the past 20 minutes.

I will begin as I know the debate will adjourn at 1.30 p.m. We all effectively outlined our views on this Bill some time ago in early summer, and we have had a debate on the report of the Constituency Commission. The legislation was not discussed in detail at that point but listening to some of the speakers today, we are effectively making the same speeches. Despite that round of statements in the Chamber a few months back, there were no changes and we are coming back to speak on the exact same issue.

I queried at the time why we were having such statements when legislation was forthcoming. It probably had more to do with the fact that the Dáil fell on three separate occasions prior to the summer because of a lack of business than any real consensus-building exercise, although it may have been painted as such.

Like some speakers, I have a vested interest in this — that may be the best way to put it. My loss could be the gain of the Minister of State, Deputy Máire Hoctor, or more likely that of Deputy Coonan. I will speak later on the south Offaly area in particular.

The decision of the Constituency Commission — one may call it wisdom — has caused a great degree of anger and confusion. It has added unnecessary complication to the electoral process in some of the affected areas. It was interesting to hear Deputy Kelly discuss the Midland Regional Authority, which he and I were members of at the same time. For example, all the people of Offaly are represented on the Midland Regional Authority but there will be no representation from the people of north Tipperary. The two constituencies will now be intermingled.

Similarly, representatives on the Midland Regional Authority from the proposed constituency of Longford-Westmeath may have issues. Much of the work of the Midland Regional Authority relates directly to Europe and it has representatives such as Councillor Constance Hanniffy on the committee of the regions and so on. The authority has now effectively been put into two separate European constituencies by the Constituency Commission report.

That leads to much complication and confusion, particularly when people feel the need to lobby Deputies for this House and MEPs for the European Parliament. There is immediately a great increase in the number of people who need to be in discussions, which does not always lead to fruitful discussion.

One aspect which annoyed me most was that when we had the debate in the summer, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, stated that the changes to Laois-Offaly are relatively minor. I am sure he knows the history of the State as well as any of us but it is the first time the constituency has been changed and for the people of the area it is anything but minor. It was a disappointing way to put it, although I presume it was the perceived Government view. The Minister was clearly speaking as a representative for all parties in Government when he made his statement rather than just as a Green Party Deputy. It certainly colours my view of the matter.

It is important we remember and acknowledge that the commission is given its terms of reference by the Government, and the public should be aware of that. That happened in this instance also, although it was not the current Government made up of Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats. The previous Government consisting of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats gave those terms of reference.

If the terms of reference had been clearer, there would have been an opportunity to reduce some of the anomalies thrown up, but the commission was not given that opportunity. Everybody must admit that the Constitution takes precedence and we must meet the requirements under it regarding the number of Deputies based on population in each area. There has been an attempt to muddy the waters in that regard but it is important it is made clear that the commission is given terms of reference. We will need to examine this in future and see how the commission's terms of reference need to be changed.

Debate adjourned.
Sitting suspended at 1.30 p.m. and resumed at 2.30 p.m.
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