Minister of State criticises new constituencies

Several TDs, including a Minister of State, have criticised the breaching of county boundaries when creating new constituencies for the 2016 general election.

The creation of the new Sligo-Leitrim constituency that takes in parts of south Donegal and east Cavan has attracted particularly severe criticism, as has the ceding of large areas of east Galway to the new constituency of Roscommon-Galway.

The opinions are voiced in submissions received by the commission charged with revising constituency boundaries.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, is one of the few correspondents who expressed satisfaction with the current arrangement.

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He argues that his own constituency of Roscommon-Galway be allowed to “bed down”.

The new constituency was seen to have suited the Minister, who is based in south Roscommon, close to the border with Galway.

Many of the 64 submissions received by the commission contain harsh criticism of the breaching of the country boundary, reminding the commission that it is obliged to respect county boundaries where possible.

Among them is Minister of State for the OPW Sean Canney, who asks the commission to revise its decision on reducing the Galway East constituency to three seats from four, and ceding large swathes of the east and northeast of the country to the new constituency of Roscommon-Galway.

Natural boundaries

This change has resulted in a situation, the Galway East Independent TD argues, where “the natural boundaries of towns and villages have been ignored, and where divisions have taken place along DED [district electoral division] lines to the detriment of the electorate”.

“For example, as currently constituted the villages/towns of Dunmore, Kilkerrin, Clonberne and Mountbellew are split into different constituencies.

“Furthermore, Galway East villages such as Clonfert, Eyrecourt, Kiltormer and Garrafrauns are also split between two constituencies, which does nothing to enhance social and cultural cohesion and political representation for these areas.”

There are submissions expressing dissatisfaction with a new constituency in the northwest that takes in four counties. Cavan County Council has made a detailed submission, unanimously backed by councillors, calling for the decision to be reversed .

It points out that 36 electoral area have been included in Sligo-Leitrim, which constitutes a third of the population of Cavan.

It has argued that not alone has the change breached a county boundary, it has taken a third of Cavan away from its natural political home, which is Cavan-Monaghan.

Rural Ireland

A similar submission is made by Sligo-based

Fianna Fáil

TD

Marc MacSharry

, who says the way in which the division was arrived at has exacerbated “the alienation of rural Ireland, and undermines the constitutional entitlement of equal representation of all citizens”.

He claims county boundaries were “recklessly dissected rather than proactively and thoughtfully maintained”.

Also making a submission was former Fine Gael TD and minister Alan Shatter, who argues for the constituency of Dublin Rathdown to be increased to four seats from three – and also for its name to change. The constituency was formerly part of five-seater Dublin South, but lost two seats in the last revision.

“I am suggesting to the commission that the constituency should become a four-seat Dáil constituency, and that the areas of Rathfarnham, Ballyboden and Knocklyon should be included within it,” Mr Shatter writes.

“This would reflect historically the former constituency of Dublin South with which many of the residents of the aforementioned areas still identify.

“Such a redrawing of the constituency boundaries accords with the commission’s terms of reference, and would result in a better identification by voters with their Dáil constituency.

“It is further proposed that this realigned constituency be referenced again as Dublin South.”