John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Deputy Timmins.

I am delighted to speak on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill. As Deputy Devins said, it is a major issue of contention in Sligo and, in particular, Leitrim. The counties furthest from Dublin suffer because of their geographical location. The decision to divide Leitrim has been attributed to the independent commission and obviously one must take its view into consideration. However, there is considerable unrest in Leitrim and Sligo in regard to the decision to divide the former.

We can continue to talk about how we value smaller counties. Leitrim is one of the smallest county but it should not be disadvantaged as a result of this decision. The Bill, however, will place Leitrim at a considerable disadvantage. It will carve it in two and will attach it to the larger counties of Sligo and Roscommon. Splitting the county into two separate constituencies of Roscommon-South Leitrim and Sligo-North Leitrim will result in Leitrim having to fight hard for representation in the Dáil. It is well served by Deputy Ellis and was well served by former Deputy, Gerry Reynolds.

This move flies in the face of democracy. To split one of the smallest counties and to lump it in with two larger counties means that the voters of each Leitrim constituency will have to vote in favour of one candidate in order to increase their chance of getting a Deputy elected. This has taken away the democratic right of Leitrim's citizens. Instead of voting for who they believe is the right candidate and effectively working the PR system, Leitrim people will instead be forced to group together to vote for a candidate from their county simply to get what they believe is justifiably their right. Leitrim Deputies have a long tenure of service dating back to the foundation of the State.

In its terms of reference, the commission was asked to avoid breaking up counties as far as possible. This was not a flippant request. To divide a county makes no sense and presumes there is no difference between counties. The 26 counties cannot only be distinguished by football teams. They are all separate entities with their own problems and needs.

In recent years, there has been much growth in Leitrim and significant transformation as a result of the upper Shannon tax relief. This is evident from Carrick-on-Shannon to Glenfarne and right across south and north Leitrim. The development in Leitrim and south Sligo has been extraordinary. A fantastic group — the Save Leitrim group — has been operating in Leitrim. There are also the Leader partnership group, the very vibrant groups which operate under the partnership companies and voluntary groups. I take this opportunity to commend the Save Leitrim group, which has worked tirelessly to bring this campaign to the highest level. The group has given up its time to fight for rights which should be automatically bestowed on Leitrim. Last December, the group came to Dublin to ask the Minister to look again at the case of Leitrim to allow the status quo to be maintained.

The independent commission is beyond politics and I respect that. The Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, faces difficulties in his constituency, so it is not confined to one party. The decision will impact on some Deputies more than others. It is not about getting elected or re-elected but it is about the interests and the views of the constituents which are paramount.

The independent commission based its decision on population. Given the demographics in Leitrim, however, and the developments and low population base, it was astonishing that it took this decision. The status of the constituency could be reviewed after the census due to be published in 2006 but what has now been drawn is the battle ground for the next general election. The Government never had any intention of going against the conclusions of the commission, which reported in 2004. However, this move belies the great progress Leitrim has made in recent years. This progress has been made despite the fact it is the only county which, since the foundation of the State, has not had a Cabinet Minister.

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