Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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If one reads the section side by side with the abolition of the town council, it is clear many of the locations mentioned would have had town councils where there would have been a focus and a dedication. People will become aware of a significant difference very quickly. The point that has been made about people putting themselves forward is a valid one. There is a world of difference between representing a smaller number people where one can manage it with a job. I do not know how many have said that the good people will drop out of the political system right across the spectrum because of this proposal. It is not that I think the distribution proposed in the amendment is great. It is trying to make a bad situation slightly better. If anything, it exposes the thinking about how communities are represented. That should have been a district council tier rather than trying to stretch people to what will be breaking point for many. It is not only rural areas that will be affected. For example, in County Kildare there is an imbalance in terms of where the population is located and, therefore, the smallest number of councillors will have a huge landmass to cover. That creates its own resentment within a local authority. We have had experience of that in the past and this proposal will exaggerate it.