Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I support Deputy Humphreys. Dublin Bay North is an amalgam of two old constituencies and one way or the other, it is a new constituency. Therefore, I understand the need for a new name for it. However, Dublin South-East has featured as a constituency for many years. The coastline of the constituency is relatively small and as Deputy Humphreys pointed out, there is more bay in Dún Laoghaire than there is in the Dublin South-East constituency. For the sake of continuity, we should retain the name of the constituency as it has been.

It might not be a great idea to have similar names because people will use a shortened version. When people refer to the Dublin Bay constituency, we will not know whether they mean the north one or the south one. I do not accept that it cannot be changed. The independent commission decides on the composition of the constituencies and the number of Deputies in each constituency, etc. It is right that it is independent. Ultimately, the naming of the constituencies is a matter for the Legislature. It would not be an interference with the work of the commission if we were to name the constituency Dublin South-East. I support Deputy Humphreys.