Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Why did the commission not consider taking a little part up at Clonee, a high-density area where 6,000 voters might mean only two or three streets, instead of affecting an entire third of a county? It baffles me that any fair-minded person aware of the geographical divide should fail to see that, if Meath needs to gain 6,000 voters, one can take some areas in Dublin that may not have increased in population rather than take one third of a county. Bad enough as that is, they have also split the parish of Castlepollard. At the next election I will not be able to vote for myself, while my brother, 400 metres up the road, will fortunately still be able to vote for me. A divided community is regrettable.

I would never have entered politics were it not for my belief in the power of the parish. This is exemplified by St. Patrick's Day in Croke Park and has informed my background in what one can do to assist one's constituents. When we are dead, it is not what one has done for counties 100 or 150 miles away from one's home that matters but what one has done for one's parish and community. I hope when that time comes for me, the local people will deem that I did my best and made a difference.

That is the reason I am here today. I did not stand for Dáil Éireann to make any material gain but because I saw part of my county, including the great town of Mullingar, not getting its fair share of investment. We did not get it because we had no representative in ministerial office. However, I thank colleagues from other counties for their efforts for the area, including the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dempsey, and Senator O'Rourke.

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