Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak. The Bill has been flagged for over 12 months and we have received eventually the opportunity to debate it. It is important to set the commission report in the context of the 2002 census. The population growth recorded in the 2002 census along with the new commuter culture around Dublin in particular revealed serious imbalances pertaining to Dáil representation in the existing 42 constituencies. The independent commission was established with a judge of the High Court. It set about reviewing and juggling the existing constituencies in an effort to balance population proportionality with the geographic constraints placed on it in the fairest way possible. The census highlighted a number of anomalies within the existing constituencies.

I will cite some figures from the commission report because it is important that they are pointed out. The four-seat constituency of Sligo-Leitrim comprising the two counties has been in place since 1980. Its population has increased by 1.87% since 1979 and is now equivalent to just over 3.5 seats. However, due to the 16.3% rise in the national population over the same period, the variance with the national average representation has widened from plus 1.59% in 1980 to minus 11.01% in 2002. The four-seat Longford-Roscommon constituency also consists of two counties and has been the subject of continual comment. Since its initial creation in 1990, everyone who has examined this constituency has questioned the logic of having a constituency straddle a major boundary such as the River Shannon. The variance in 1996 was plus 0.9% while by the 2002 census it was minus 10.12%.

Undoubtedly, before the commission set about its work, any independent assessment of the population shifts in the various constituencies would have indicated that major changes were required. It is worth examining the figures for the constituencies that experienced major drops in population. Donegal South-West fell by over 10%, Dublin North-Central by over 10%, Dublin North-West by nearly 12%, Longford-Roscommon by over 10% and Sligo-Leitrim by over 11%. Based on these variations and the current demography as reflected in the 2002 census, it was clear to all that those particular constituencies would be examined and reviewed. There was a real risk that County Roscommon could have been split or divided based on the criteria set down for the constituency commission by both the Government and the Constitution. There was also a risk that County Leitrim would be split based on these figures.

Many Members believed there was a possibility that our constituencies would shift and change and quite a number of Oireachtas Members, along with a small number of county councillors, made submissions to the commission. The commission advertised publically for submissions and had a website asking people for formal submissions. While all the political parties made submissions to the constituency boundaries commission, no politician from County Leitrim made one. A host of organisations are now complaining about the division of Leitrim. They have an extremely valid point, their concerns should be considered and the issue needs to be considered in terms of any future conditions that are laid down for a constituency boundaries commission.

It must be asked why no individual or organisation in County Leitrim made a submission to the commission, based on the fact that the constituency of Sligo-Leitrim experienced a population decline of over 11% and the ratio of population to the number of Deputies. None of the organisations that were representative of the county and none of the local councillors made submissions. Only two Members of the Oireachtas from the west made submissions: Senator Leyden and myself. These submissions were probably very similar. Politicians from the affected constituencies of Longford-Roscommon, Sligo-Leitrim and Meath who made submissions to the commission were John Bruton, Senator Bannon, Senator Leyden and myself. It was obvious that changes would have to take place because of the population shifts in the affected constituencies.

In my submission, I recommended that Roscommon be returned to its geographic county, which has not been the case in numerous elections. I come from a parish where three quarters of the population vote in the new Westmeath constituency in Leinster even though they live in Connacht. The same difficulty affects people in Ballinasloe where the majority of the population in Creagh in Roscommon must vote in Galway rather than Roscommon. Every independent constituency commission has ignored the geographic boundaries of the River Shannon and the River Suck. Few people have complained about this.

The other recommendation in my submission was that the old Roscommon-East Galway constituency be reintroduced. There is considerable affinity between a certain part of east Galway and Roscommon. Many of the people in that part of east Galway would rather be included in a constituency with Roscommon. However, based on the figures it had, the commission decided not to accept that proposal. At least I made a submission and what I thought was a reasonable case. It is disappointing to see people now raising the issue with regard to County Leitrim when they did not make submissions to the commission. I am aware that my colleagues in Sinn Féin have a motion on the Order Paper today. I did not see their submission but I wonder whether it addressed that particular issue. I disagreed with my party's submission with regard to County Leitrim and put forward my own. While I accept that there are genuine concerns among the public in Leitrim that the county is being split, that it has been given a raw deal by the commission and that the public's concerns have validity, it is disappointing that no one thought it worthwhile to make a submission to the commission.

Based on the population of the new constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim, which is the new constituency I will have to campaign in at the next general election, one quarter of the population is based in the southern half of Leitrim. This constitutes approximately a quota of votes in a three-seat constituency. There are sufficient votes in that constituency and I am sure the candidates in Leitrim, including my colleague, Gerry Reynolds, a former Deputy whose father took a seat in Leitrim in 1973, will put up a strong fight to retain a seat for the people of Leitrim in a future general election.

There is an inbuilt benefit to the Government in the layout of some of these constituencies. If one looks at the new three-seat constituencies of Meath-East, Meath-West, Roscommon-South Leitrim and Sligo-North Leitrim, there is an inbuilt benefit for the Government. Traditionally, Fianna Fáil has taken two out of three seats in three-seat constituencies. It will be a challenge fighting that trend. However, it is the electorate in these constituencies that will decide who will represent it for the next five years after the next general election, whenever that takes place.

Roscommon has not had its geographic boundaries left intact in a Dáil constituency for numerous elections, possibly since the 1950s or 1960s. Deputy Dennehy made a very valid point regarding the River Lee and argued that we should take physical features into consideration, for example, those relating to the rivers Shannon and Suck, when forming constituencies. Regardless of whether a person lives in County Westmeath or County Roscommon in the vicinity of Athlone, he or she lives in Connacht. He or she would never associate himself or herself with Leinster, yet he or she must vote for candidates in Leinster.

From my perspective, the current proposals for a new constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim do not suit me. I will be the most southerly Member of the Oireachtas in this new constituency. The new constituency stretches from the Fermanagh border in the north to the Offaly border in the south and is an extremely long and narrow constituency. It will be a very difficult constituency to manage and work, regardless of who is elected in the next general election. People on the periphery of the constituency, whether they are in south Leitrim or south Roscommon, will be short-changed by the new constituency's boundaries. From my perspective, it will be extremely difficult to retain a seat in the new constituency.

However, these are the difficulties with which we, as Members of the Oireachtas, must deal. We have given an independent commission the task of examining the available statistics and information, making an assessment, attempting to juggle constituency boundaries and come up with constituencies that are representative of the population.

Roscommon-South Leitrim was a constituency from 1961 to 1980. My former Fine Gael colleague, Joan Burke, was a Deputy for that constituency over a long period. Pat Joe Reynolds was also a Member of the Oireachtas during that period and was a Deputy during the Fine Gael Government's tenure from 1973 to 1977. It is a constituency which my late father fought in 1977 when he first entered national politics. I intend to give a good account of myself in this constituency in the next general election. These are the challenges with which we must deal and I hope we can repeat the trend we saw in 1973 when Fine Gael gained a seat in that constituency by taking two out of the three available. I intend to work with my colleagues to ensure this happens.

I hope that Roscommon town will have its count centre returned to it. There were centres traditionally in the Roscommon-South Leitrim and Roscommon-Galway East constituencies. When Mr. Albert Reynolds was the Taoiseach and the constituency became Longford-Roscommon, the larger county lost its count centre for some unknown reason. I am sure Mr. Reynolds took some credit for this at the time. We want to see the return of the count centre to Roscommon town as we have the greater element of the population in the constituency.

It is not often that we have the opportunity to raise issues of the electoral register. The way some of the registers of electors are maintained and updated is appalling and something must be done. The rate collector in each local authority has been traditionally responsible for the register but it is physically impossible for many of them to handle the registers adequately owing to their lack of resources. When one is canvassing one sees new estates of 60 or 70 houses with two or three people on the register but nothing is done to address this matter. People are being disenfranchised and I hope that some mechanism can be found to counter this. People have a right to cast their votes no matter who they vote for.

Local authorities, the county sheriffs and the county registrars have been slow to introduce additional polling booths in many of these new communities and many people must trek considerable distances to access booths. This is an issue that must be examined. Criteria must be set down in particular areas governing when new polling booths are put in place. This will be more difficult owing to the Government's proposal regarding electronic voting as it will not want to spend money on more voting machines when the current ones do not work.

The most sensible argument for the introduction of electronic voting is that one would have a full count of second preferences when a surplus is being distributed rather than taking the last bundle of votes. However, the Government ignored this argument because it would be too significant a change for people. While pressing a button would be a change, apparently having a full and accurate count would be too significant a change to understand. There is no valid argument for the introduction of electronic voting except in regard to having a full count of preferences. This would be more accurate but the proposed random system gives rise to concerns. One physically sees the papers in a manual system when they are being randomly selected and distributed. One can understand that a physical transfer is taking place and how it is taking place but it will be difficult to explain to Members of this House and to the public how the random selection will be carried out by a computer or whether there will be differences between constituencies. There is only one answer to this, namely, to ensure there is a full count of preferential papers. This is the only valid argument that can be made for electronic voting and it is disappointing that the Government has ignored the issue.

I have concerns about this legislation because its revisions breach many of the physical boundaries to which I have referred. The people of County Leitrim have a valid argument on this matter and it is a pity that no one thought about making this argument to the commission when it sought their proposals.

See this speech in context